Tartan & Turmeric

Aye Write- The Lit Fest in Glasgow

2012-01-11T12:54:00.001Z

Aye Write- Look out for the programme in The Herald on Saturday 21st January.

Glasgow’s annual celebration of reading and writing has over 300 events, including a free children’s programme. As well as the festival's 2012 theme of '100 years of Scottish Literature' (commemorating 100 years of the Mitchell Library), there will be events and debates on comedy writing, religion, politics, women’s writing, the digital revolution, media crises and the best in Scottish and international writing.

Phone: 0141 353 8000
Email: ayewrite@glasgowlife.org.uk
Website: www.ayewrite.com

Man Asian Literary Prize

2012-01-10T15:58:00.003Z

I am rooting for Bhattacharya:

Seven novels make Man Asian Literary Prize’s strongest shortlist
An unprecedented seven novels have been shortlisted for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize.

2011 Shortlist

JAMIL AHMAD, Pakistan - The Wandering Falcon (Penguin India/Hamish Hamilton)
JAHNAVI BARUA, India - Rebirth (Penguin India/Penguin Books)
RAHUL BHATTACHARYA, India - The Sly Company of People Who Care (Pan Macmillan/Pan Macmillan India/Picador)
AMITAV GHOSH, India - River of Smoke (John Murray/Penguin India/Hamish Hamilton)
KYUNG-SOOK SHIN, South Korea - Please Look After Mom (Alfred A. Knopf)
YAN LIANKE, China - Dream of Ding Village (Grove Atlantic)
BANANA YOSHIMOTO, Japan - The Lake (Melville House)
Four of the shortlisted novels were originally written in English; the novels from South Korea, China and Japan are all judged in translation.

First Book awards of 2012

2012-01-04T11:12:00.000Z

This year's five Costa winners

• Novel award Pure by Andrew Miller

• First novel award Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson

• Biography award Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas by Matthew Hollis

• Poetry award The Bees by Carol Ann Duffy

• Children's book award Blood Red Road by Moira Young.

Happy New Year

2011-12-30T14:42:00.003Z

I welcome 2012 with joy and anticipation. Hope the same to all of you.

Wishing you a Very Happy New Year filled with peace and joy.

Greetings

2011-12-24T14:09:00.000Z

2011-12-07T09:08:00.002Z

'Bombay Baby' book launches are over. Now all that you dear friends have to do is to buy the book and send me some lovely comments!

You can buy a copy direct from the publisher : http://dahliapublishing.co.uk/ and the usual sources Book Depository, Amazon, Waterstone's etc.

Now I will sit back and wait for reviews/blogs with fingers and toes crossed.

'Bombay Baby' at Milngavie Library

2011-12-05T15:57:00.004Z

'Bombay Baby' book launch is at Milngavie Library on December the 6th at 2 pm. You are all most welcome. Hope the snow will not discourage you.

You can buy a copy direct from the publisher : http://dahliapublishing.co.uk/

And a special thanks to A.C. Clarke of the Federation of Writers Scotland for adding an extract of 'Bombay Baby'in their newsletter and I am the featured writer this month. Their website is : http://www.writersfederation.org.uk/

btw David Manderson's psychological thriller 'Lost Bodies' is a scary, page turner that you can't put down. Buy it now!

Comments

2011-12-02T10:04:00.005Z

A really sweet IT/Marketing friend sent me these pics on how to market BB! I had to put it on the blog as it is such a daft idea! Maybe a BOGOF at book launches of such items and merchandising will be the future for new writers. Lol!

After the launch of 'Bombay Baby' at CCA I've had a couple of readers commenting that they have read the book and loved it. So if anyone has read 'Bombay Baby' please post your comments here or on Amazon. I have been told that comments on Amazon makes a lot of difference. There is still some controversy about who actually writes these comments and that some commentators are actually paid to do so. I know from my first book 'Twice Born' that all the six people who did comment did it of their own volition and I am grateful that they took the trouble to do so. Your comments on my work would be welcome for me as a new writer. Any feedback from a reader makes it so much more worthwhile as one plods through the long and lonely days at the computer.

Lots of readers sent me emails about my first book commenting on how much they loved it. Two or three did some reviews on it. A friend did a great blog on 'Twice Born' and people commented on the blog. All comments encourages me to do better and continue with my passion for writing the next novel. So roll on with the comments please. Thank you.

6th December

2011-11-26T13:15:00.006Z

Well 'Bombay Baby' has been delivered safe and sound. The launch at the CCA was enjoyable. Some people bought multiple copies as presents for their friends just based on what they had heard. A big thank you to them and hope that their comments will be positive. Post it on Amazon please!

Each day after the launch is challenging and exciting. New ideas on how to promote my novel has been given by so many in Glasgow. New authors are wonderfully inclusive, helpful and support each other. Sharon Mail, Christine Ravenhall, J.David Simon, Sue Reid Sexton V. Campbell, Ronnie Scott, Mary Smith, Catherine Czerkawska, Lesley McDowell, Chiew-Siah Tei, Delia Nadarajah, Suhayl Saadi and many many others too many mention have all been there for me. Online friends have kept me going with their fun posting and helpful tweets or FB status updates. Glasgow is buzzing with lit events that inspires me.
My local community has been great. Milngavie is a tiny village and has a cosy atmosphere of warmth and friendship.So all I need to do now is to get myself and my new 'baby' out there.

The next one is at Milngavie Library on December the 6th at 2 pm. You are all most welcome.

btw David Manderson's psychological thriller 'Lost Bodies' is a scary, page turner that you can't put down.Buy it now!

Dates to note

2011-11-09T16:37:00.002Z

Book Launch of 'Bombay Baby' on :

Glasgow: 24th November at the CCA at 7 pm

Milngavie : 6th December at Milngavie Library at 2 pm-

Please note: Had to change date as there is likely to be an Unison strike on the 30th November.

The clocks go back

2011-10-30T13:56:00.005Z

Its that time of the year again, dark nights, warm clothes, and hunkering in is upon us. I love autumn more than even summer as I'll have no hay fever to contend with and the fact that people make so much more effort to get together for festivities is wonderful.

I've finished re-reading John Banville's 'The Sea' a book that draws me in from time to time. His prose-'The past beats inside me like a second heart' - is just perfect! And it is the pages of description that makes me want to re-read it again and again.

At last I have started tackling some books on the TBR list. Emma Donohue's 'The Room' is the first one in that big pile. I'm just a few pages in and I'm drawn in to her wonderful opening chapters.Her empathy and imagination of the language of a precocious five year old is incredible. A novel that I cannot put down and will finish in one sitting.

Another book that caught my attention was 'The Kashmir Shawl'. A quiet book that is a popular read and recommended by a friend is something I am looking forward to reading next.Wales, Kashmir and the story line is alluring. I'm sure I'll enjoy the book. The publisher of Sara Gruen's best selling novel 'Water for Elephants' is coming to talk to the local book group and I've been invited to the event. A historical novel that Sara Gruen wrote as part of the National Writing Month stayed on the New York Times Best seller list for 12 weeks in 2006 and was later made into a movie. Another book and movie to enjoy.

And most terrifying of all is the book launch of my second novel 'Bombay Baby' on the 24th and 30th November! Exciting times ahead!

Musings

2011-10-23T14:51:00.005+01:00

The latest questions from friends -'Have you started novel three, Leela? What is it about?' I am flattered and pleased that they want to know about the next novel, but I've embarked on a really important venture. For a while now I've been collecting various pieces of my family history from different sources, mainly oral with a few sepia tinted photos, old cine reels, videos and some old recipes to spice it up. It is an exciting and time consuming work that thrills at times. It makes me sit back and wonder about some of the achievements, the joy and tragedies of the people closest to me. The trouble is, the project when finished, is not for public consumption at all. This is something I wish to record for those nearest and dearest to me. New technology makes it so easy to access and record what I know and I feel it is so important to put it down on paper for the future generations. So, to answer the question, novel three will be on the back burner. I did have an outline ready for novel three but the family memoir is taking precedence. Curious to see how people structure their family memoirs, I googled it. I loved the covers of some of them. There are different methods to approach this subject and I must confess I got a few ideas on how to put mine together. This is a new departure for me, moving away from fiction to non-fiction and I look forward to the challenge.

November is also the launch of Nanowrimo and I know some of my writer friends are tackling it this year. 50,000 words in thirty days is no mean feat. It is a fantastic way to motivate the procrastinator(ME!!) to stop making excuses and getting down to the task in hand. I wish all those taking part in it all the best and hope that they achieve their target of fifty thousand words.

Competitions

2011-10-17T16:12:00.003+01:00

There are so many competitions for new writers now. The competitions are for every genre of novels, poems, and art. I thought I'll highlight just two that came to my notice. One from Ireland posted by the Scottish Writers Centre on FB and another annual one from the Scottish Book Trust.

Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Competition
www.munsterlit.ie
This international poetry competition gives poetry writers a chance to win €1000 for a single poem. Winning poems will be published in our online poetry journal 'Southword'.

Scottish Book Trust are looking for 8 talented and committed writers to participate in their New Writers Awards. Successful applications will receive £2000 to allow them to spend time writing. The deadline for application is Thursday 24th November (midday).

Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards | Scottish Book Trust
www.scottishbooktrust.com
If you have specific access requirements, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. This information is available in alternative formats, including large print format on request.

So get your entries in!

Book Launch

2011-10-16T09:59:00.007+01:00

Friends asking 'When is the next novel coming out?' can now be given a positive answer. The book launch of 'Bombay Baby' the second novel is on 24th November at the Centre for Contemporary Arts(CCA) 350 Sauchiehall Street hosted by the Scottish Writers Centre at 7pm.There is a cafe and a bar on the premises. It is a busy place buzzing with interesting programmes every day of the week. I hope people would buy a copy of 'Bombay Baby' and maybe even give some as a Christmas present to others.

The editor Farhana of Dahlia Publishing Ltd who has taken this book on has been a great help in shaping the novel and polishing it for the readers. I had heard of the second book syndrome but did not realize how difficult it was till I started 'Bombay Baby.' There are readers out there who have some expectations.

Here are some comments from readers of 'Twice Born.'

‘A good beginning’- Robin Lloyd Jones Award winning author.

‘Leela’s culture clash novel is set out to be a hit’- Milngavie and Bearsden Herald

‘It's very interesting to see Britain in general through other eyes. A really fine achievement.’
Anne C. Clarke (Makar, Federation of Writers Scotland)

Nicola Morgan

2011-10-11T08:45:00.002+01:00

Since I got into the habit of starting the day with a quick look at FB and Twitter, I must say that it is easy to waste time browsing. The exception to this is Nicola Morgan's blog 'Help I Need a Publisher'. She is concise, consistently good and is very helpful to new writers. The bonus is she is also a fun person on Twitter.

I met her at 'Weegie Wednesday' a monthly forum in Glasgow where writers, publishers, agents all meet and network. Nicola spoke about her work and the her blog and I'm sure got a lot of new writers following her blog. Her work ethic is amazing. She has something useful and interactive on her blog almost every day. Read her books, follow her blog and learn all there is to know about writing and getting published.

Bombay Baby - a peek

2011-10-09T14:28:00.003+01:00

A new novel by an emerging Scottish writer.

Tina is torn between her Scottish parents and her Indian roots.
In the months leading to her eighteenth birthday she decides to find that missing piece of her life. Tina embarks on a journey that will change her life forever, to India to find the woman she might otherwise have called mum. She meets an alluring American, Andrew and falls in love. But is all what it seems?
Meanwhile her uncle James is back in India on a business trip – the place where he found himself and his first love. Just when Tina is about to discover her biological mother’s identity she is involved in a tragic accident and it is James who is summoned to her hospital bedside. As James begins to reminisce over his past he wanders how his life might have otherwise turned out. What happens when their lives accidentally intertwine and what will the consequences be for their loved ones waiting in Glasgow?

Praise for Twice Born
“At last! I got your book from Amazon last week, but it was woth waiting for. I enjoyed your story very much - and also enjoyed learning about the Scotland -India connections. Hope you're working on the next one now. I'm looking forward to reading more.”
Dr. Ann Mc Laren Vice- President of Scottish Association of Writers

“Watch out for emerging new writer Leela Soma …”
Professor Willy Maley in "Discovering Scottish Literature"
School of English and Scottish Language and Literature

National Poetry Day

2011-10-06T08:27:00.004+01:00

On National Poetry Day of 'Games' my wee thoughts

Chess

The legacy of the Guptas lives on.
A game of yore given to the world
Ashtapada the eight squared board
Mentioned in the epic Mahabharata
Of chess men infantry, cavalry, chariotry
Elephantry the game of war and strategy
Perused by Arabs taken by the Buddhists
To the Silk Road, Chaturanga made inroads
To Europe over centuries the game played on
Stone changed to boards now on computers
A game of brains, checkmated and stalemated
Imprinted into the history of mankind.

Snakes and Ladders

A piece of cotton marked with houses
All houses represent emotions
The mind is man as they say
The snakes the bad feelings that
Take one away from Nirvana
The ladders the support of man
Good feelings those positive vibes
Makes man content and happy
Using cowries, shells or wooden pieces
Throw the dice to your life’s chances
Ancient philosophy on a board.

Book Cover

2011-10-05T10:47:00.008+01:00

Here at last.

Dahlia Publishing
Paperback published
14 November 2011, £12.99
ISBN 978-0-9566967-1-7

Coming Soon

Dahlia Publishing is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of their first novel. Glasgow based writer and poet Leela Soma whose novel, Bombay Baby was thrust from the slush pile for its heart warming, coming of age novel with heaps of spice.

Read the novel set in Bombay and Glasgow.

A tale of identity, of motherhood, sibling rivalry and family secrets.

Available soon on:

Neilsenbookdata
Amazon
And in major bookstores.

Wee Fiction

2011-09-27T16:16:00.002+01:00

Just had no time to keep the blog going, so confession time. I am taking my wee contribution to Andrew McCallum Crawford's blog and cutting and pasting it here along with the comments!

Hopefully I'll do better in October what with poetry week and lots of lit things happening all over.

SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2011

A Wee Guest Fiction: Leela Soma
Desert Dreams

His body lay in the mortuary. The Company, the Indian Government and the UAE Government argued over repatriating the body.

Suman had arrived in Dubai to build one of the skyscrapers that rose from nothing. The company laid off the workers when the building boom went bust. His simple dream of providing a decent life back home in Kerala for his family evaporated. Beholden to the moneylender and desperate, he threw himself off the unfinished ninetieth floor. His dreams splattered on the sand with his lifeless body.

He remained an untouchable in birth and death.

Comments:
Lotus Reads said...
Wow, this story is powerful, poignant and topical. Not a week goes by without a mention in the newspapers of some unfortunate construction worker in the Gulf who either died in an accident or was desperate enough to take his own life. I was deeply moved by this story and its thought-provoking last line! Thank you Leela Soma.
26 September 2011 16:42

Gerda Casier said...
Strangely familiar and poignant, every word at its place.
27 September 2011 18:09

September

2011-09-11T15:06:00.000+01:00

I am writing this on the tenth anniversary of 9'11 and the memory of that atrocity, and all other terrorist attacks including the 26'11 Mumbai bombing, makes me think of the innocent lives lost. Perhaps dwelling on it for too long is not healthy as the survivors and family of the victims have shown us their tenacity and strength to move on. September is the start of the new session and the range of new courses on literature at the university leisure classes is tempting me to register for some. Decision, decisions.

Two books that I 've read have left their mark. Howard Jacobson's 'The Finkler's Question' which made me laugh out loud in the opening chapter then moved to deeper thoughts on the question of Jewishness was a wonderful read. Sebastian Barry's 'A Long Long Way' , the story of a young man from Dublin off to fight in the Great War was gripping. His latest book 'On Canaan's Side' which is a sequel was serialised by Radio 4 recently and is a book that I must read. I am still reading 'Leela's Book' written by the British author Alice Alibinia, a clever blend of the ancient gods with a modern story that has me enraptured. It is not an easy read. The extensive research that Alibinia has done is evident and adds an important layer to the book. I am learning more of Ganesha, Vyasa and the epic Mahabharatha (which it parodies) from this book. It is an intricate plot with a lot of characters that one needs to persist with to enjoy. I was impressed with her cultural knowledge of Delhi, and Indian politics. One of the book reviewers on Twitter had put it aside saying it was unreadable as it had too many references to Hindu Gods and epics. I understand his view but it is a book that is worth reading in my humble opinion, especially if you are interested in India of the present and wish to delve in its rich heritage.

Jackie Kay wins at EIBF

2011-08-27T08:01:00.007+01:00

Managed to get to EIBF for a day. Thrilled to see Jackie Kay win the Scot Book Awards. The event started a bit late as Jenni Murray 'BBC Woman's Hour' presenter was caught up in traffic. I got to talk to her and say how much I enjoy her programmes every morning. She was gracious and charming. She chaired the event with humour.

First to read was Sue Peebles for her debut novel 'The Death of Lomond Friel', a book about how a young woman's life is thrown into disarray when her father has a stroke, the extract on the fish shop was good. She is coming to the Milngavie Book Festival and you can see her at the Milngavie Library on 8th September FREE!

Jackie Kay read next from the non-fiction category 'Red Dust Road' her biography, and made us laugh with the extract on her summer holidays with her family. It was lovely to see her joy in paying tribute to her parents who were in the audience. A stunning writer and poet whose work tugs at your heart and yet blends humour with such ease.

Poet Stewart Conn was next and read 3 poems from 'The Breakfast Room'. He was mildly surprised about winning the poet's prize as he said he had mixed reviews for this collection. The poems he read were lyrical.

Leila Aboulela won the fiction category with 'Lyrics Alley'. She could not be there because of family commitments. She sent a touching message on how 'elastic' the word 'Scottish' writer was, to include her. She also gave a clue about her next book which is going to be set in two time frames of Sudan in the 19th C and a North Eastern Scottish city (Aberdeen methinks!)

I was hoping to catch Anjali Joseph and Neel Mukherjee at the Amnesty Talk but as this programme over ran the hour it was not possible.

I have posted the arty pics of authors at the Fest which adorned most of the marquees, a touch of wit at the EIB. Also took the RBS Theatre where the event took place.

A perfect day at the Book Fest.

Book Covers

2011-08-20T12:29:00.006+01:00

Thought this article is really interesting from a marketing point of view.

With kind acknowledgement to 'The Wall Street Journal' March 16th 2011

Why Book Covers Get an ‘Indian’ Makeover
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/...
When Indian novels are published abroad, quintessential Indian motifs like gods and elephants tend to crop up on their cover. Exhibit A: The debut novel 'Serious Men,' shortlisted for the Man Asian Prize.

The UK version is the Amazon cover with the wee boy. The Indian one is muted colours and no Indian Gods on it. What does it say about readership in each of the continents?

August Reads

2011-08-16T16:41:00.004+01:00

Two completely different books that I had waited in my TBR list managed to surface to the top and I decided to read them. August is a busy month and I had to find time to devote to them.

Finkler's Question- A comedy on Jewishness won the Man Booker Prize in 2010. This is a clever and funny novel with dazzling prose that had laugh aloud moments in Part One of the book. Jewish identity is a theme that has been written about many a time. This book is exceptional. It is full of warmth, beautifully written and the main protagonist Julian Treslove is not a Jew but one who yearns to be Jewish.Two other characters are Sam Finkler and Libor Sevcik an older friend who was also their teacher.By posing the Jewish Question of identity Jacobson has debated the all the questions of culture, relationships, family and faith. I found Part 2 not as riveting as the earlier chapters. Reading it is an experience, making one laugh at the same time reflect and think about the issues that have been raised.

Sebastian Barry's 'A Long, Long Way' is a poetic, lyrical novel that depicts the hopelessness of the First World War and the millions who laid down their lives. The novel is about a young lad Willie Dunne from Dublin whose innocence when he enlists is in stark contrast to his slow realization of the futility of war as his own country slides into the Easter Rising of 1916 and the struggle for loyalties become untenable. Barry's strength lies in his language, it transports one to scenes of utter hell in no man's land and shakes you to the core. The endless waste of human lives as wars continue to this day makes one wonder if man will ever learn. Not one for reading 'war novels' this was 'unputdownable.'

I now look forward to his new book 'On Canaan's Side'as it takes the story of Dunne's sister Lillie from 1916 to her new life in New York a tale of trauma and exile as the blurb says. Yes I'll be reading it soon.

In my hands now is Alice Albinia's 'Leela's Book' the next on my reading list. How could I resist a book with my own first name? What a lovely cover too!

July is done

2011-07-31T14:16:00.007+01:00

Why Ruby? Good question. Seeing my grandmother's ruby set made me wonder about this gem. Rubies known as the "Rajnapura" or King of Gems by ancient Hindus, July's birthstone is among the most highly prized of gems throughout history. Burma has the best colour and quality, the deep red rubies. The names of some of the world famous rubies took me back to my primary school history. Mandalay Ruby,Timur Ruby, the exotic name of Timur or Tamerlane from Central Asia who invaded India and took the huge ruby in 1398!Presented to Queen Victoria it remains in the Royal collection but the fascinating inscriptions on the flat surface records five emperors who owned it and the longest inscription reads as follows and I quote :

- “This is the ruby from among the 25,000 genuine jewels of the King of Kings, the Sultan Sahib Qiran (Timur), which in the year 1153 A.H. (1740 A.D.) from the collection of jewels of Hindustan, reached this place (Isfahan).

The description surpasses all:“A drop of the heart’s blood of Mother Earth”.It brought back the old Indian tale of the 'Lost Ruby'where the Minister finds the lost ruby in the stomach of the fish and rushes back to return it to the king, one of the many childhood stories that one imbibes as part of one's culture. July certainly makes the sky ruby red at times and watching the sun set on a late summer evening is wonderful.July is over and it has been a mixed summer weather wise.Sunshine and showers.

There is a lot going on in the Lit world. Book launches, readings, the Ed Fest this month and other festivals galore. An exciting time as September approaches with our own local Milngavie Book and Art Festival to look forward to.

A couple of months to go for my novel two to come out I hope.It is in the last stages of birth. The manuscript transformed to a book makes all the hours spent on it really worthwhile. I can't wait to hold it as a book in my hands. The minute I get the cover and news of its launch I'll post it on this blog.

Laurie Lee

2011-06-26T14:51:00.005+01:00

A quiet Sunday after a busy week I decided to settle down with my favourite book, Poem For the Day. The Twitterworld is agog with people busting their guts trying to get tickets for the Edinburgh Festival or Olympics or even 'Take That' Concerts. I am browsing this book of 366 poems one for every day of the year including leap years. I keep it near my computer and when I feel like a break from the screen or just when my fancy takes me to dip into a poem, I grab the book and read and re-read the same poem. The wonderful thing about this book is that each poem is placed on a day of significance - either the poet's birth or death day or another relevant date - and is complemented by a footnote full of amusing anecdotes and interesting facts to expand on the poem and the poet's life.June 26th has 'Home From Abroad' a poem by Laurie Lee. He was born on this day in 1914.I am familiar with his world famous novel 'Cider with Rosie' but not of his poems. This is what I love about this book. I get to read poems and anecdotes of poets I've not come across before. In the footnote it mentions that at age 19 Laurie left Kent and walked to London and worked as a labourer. His travels through Spain is recounted in his later novels.

This poem begins with the verse

"Far-fetched with tales of other worlds and ways,
My skin well-oiled with wines of the Levant,
I set my face into filial smile
To greet the pale, domestic kiss of Kent."

Most of us can relate to his feeling of yearning for home, so beautifully expressed. In 1936 he wrote " June came in full blast, with the heat bouncing off the sea as from a buckled sheet of tin".
Of course that has happened in Glasgow. I look out at the grey skies and laugh at the image of "heat bouncing off the sea". I think that reading words in verse the best way of relaxing on a quiet afternoon.
I also noticed that there is a Book Two of the same 'Poem for the Day'. Another book to buy, read and treasure.A poem a day what more could one ask for?

Milngavie the gentle suburb

2011-06-15T17:39:00.004+01:00

I travelled by train to town this morning and bought a newspaper from the tiny porta cabin coffee shop/ newsagent/ sweetie shop. I found a stack of books at the side and I enquired what it was for.'It's for reading on the train,' said the nice gentleman. 'You can borrow one and bring it back or replace it with your own,' he added with a smile. Now where else in the world would you have such a wonderfully thoughtful service? I have seen a lending library in Indian trains where people spend over a couple of days travelling from one part of India to the other, but they are a captive audience, can't run away with the copies. My little suburb has these touches that I hope will always be cherished.

Cloud Messenger- A gem of a book

2011-06-10T13:16:00.003+01:00

This is a short 195 page book, a novella. I read it in a few hours, in one sitting. Aamer Hussein's (its title from Kalidasa's great Sanskrit poem 'Meghduta') "The Cloud Messenger". Lyrical, poetic, stunning in its narration of the author's own experiences. The autobiographical facts have been fictionalised.It is the story of Mehran a middle aged man living in London and looking back on his life. The three cities of Karachi, Indore and London, the three languages Urdu, English and Farsi, the love/relationship triangles all take centre stage. I thoroughly recommend this book and I'll re read it for sure.

A quote from the opening pages of the book: "My friend said: Sometimes I feel you write my words. As if you stole them from me. Or you took them from the sea or city of our birth.
And I tell you then : The heart is a bird. An unwritten letter in its cry. It's not a perfect falcon. Nor even a swan diving for pearls. No I t'a a gull, in search of sustenance. Or rain."

I also found a wonderful review of the book on this blog, 'The Middle Stage'by author Chandrahas Choudhury. His blog is superb.

All New

2011-05-22T14:13:00.010+01:00

To celebrate my rather good news of a publisher for novel two I thought I'll do a make-over for my tired looking blog. Welcome to 'Tartan & Turmeric' a real merger of Scottish and Indian updates on this blog. I feel enriched by the two cultures that I share and often switch from one country to the other in all my writing and status updates on FB and Twitter, so why not on the blog too?

Summer is only a week away and I look forward to bright long days of sunshine. I must confess the weather makes one less inclined to sit inside and read a book so that is my excuse for still being on page 436 of Sarita Mandanna's 'Tiger Hills ' that I referred to in my last blog. I'll give a fuller comment on the book once I have finished reading it. She was in the longlist for the Man Asian Literary Prize last year.

Awarding Philip Roth the Man Booker Prize 2011 was controversial with Carmen Callil walking out of the judging panel.The choice of books can be so subjective just like any work of art.

I do hope you like my new spiced up blog.

Literary Festivals

2011-05-05T09:45:00.017+01:00

April was sprinkled with showers of events that were sad and wonderful.The sudden death of a friend shook me. On a brighter note, the sunny days were incredible, almost a 'summer's here' feeling in its warmth. Prince William and Kate's wedding drew the month to a happy close.

Though Literary Festivals happen all round the year, the month of May heralds the start of the important ones. Hay Festival is at the end of this month from May 25th to June 5th.There are nearly 250 Literary Festivals in the UK now. Readers are keen to meet the authors who have made the written word a delight. So keep attending them and put my own local Milngavie Book and Art Festival dates in your diary 6th-10th September.

Now how about this?
Asia House Festival of Asian Lit http://bit.ly/iZtMnm

Opening night almost sold out' (They tweeted.)

The only Festival in the UK dedicated to writing about Asia, May 10 - 26 2011.The line up: Thurbron, French, Anam, Kureishi, Mirza Waheed, Mimi Khalvati, Shukla, Law-Yone, Ali Allawi, Chalabi, Geek Nation, Chinese and Persian food and more. I'd love to be there!

I have sta rted reading this book by S.Mandanna. Yes, it is 600 pages long and should I indulge in such a long book when I have some eye issues? Well, it has been on my TBR for so long that I delved into it, in small doses. The opening pages are promising, her descriptions of Coorg are superb and some of the phraseology in the dialogues are very familiar to the South Indian in me. Words like Tayi, sampengi flowers, monae,kesari rice, plantains,kathi are like the Tamil words that I was used to, growing up in Madras. The plot has still to develop but her 'Coorg' has kept me going. Will report later if I did relish it to the end.A twitter friend commented that he gave up on Alice Albinia's 'Leela's Book' as it had too many references to the Mahabharatha. I want to read that book !(sorry can't get rid of the underline!)

Three more books caught my attention. Anyone read these yet?

Libraries in pics

2011-04-30T21:00:00.008+01:00

Ruins of the Nalanda University:The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the first great universities in recorded history."

The Mitchell Library in Glasgow

The Geisel Library San Diego

Seattle Library.Where's the rain?

Salt Lake City Library in Utah

Zurich Library mind bogging design!

Books to read in the most amazing places in the world and free to all the citizens. Aren't we lucky?

2011-04-17T15:38:00.008+01:00

Lured by the cover (just look at the old car!) and by the possibility that our next Literature class may be on World Cities I picked this book up. One of the first suggestions in the class when we discussed the topic of books on cities was Pamuk's Istanbul and I can see why it topped the list. I still have his 'Museum of Innocence' on my TBR pile but this was irresistible when I saw it in my library. So as always my own books are languishing in an ever growing stack, while I delve into another borrowed one. This book has pictures of the old Istanbul that Pamuk grew up in and his memoir interweaves the political with the personal, so rich in its detail that I need to savour it slowly. He paints the picture of the dilemma of the city with empathy, as it struggles with both Westernisation and the traditional Islamic society. As the chapters are in a chronological order it also offers a fascinating glimpse of his childhood in 'Pamuk' apartments. A book that is more than a travelogue it gives a wonderful insight into a city that had the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire at its heyday. I am relishing reading it.

Tagore's 150th anniversary. Victoria and Abdul- a book.

2011-04-11T18:17:00.004+01:00

The 150th anniversary of Tagore is celebrated all over Britain and Sampad in Birmingham a wonderful South Asian Arts company has a superb programme that tempts me to take a trip down to the Midlands in May. The programme covers all aspects of the Arts as shown here: "International Speakers, Dancers and Musicians gather to celebrating a great man in the setting he inspired." They include Deepak Chopra, Aditi Mangaldas, Bhavan, Sonal Mansingh, Wajahat Khan, Sangetta Datta, William Radice, Vandana Shiva, Anisur Rahman, Dharambir Singh, Debashish and Rohini Raychaudhuri.More info at: www.tagorefestival.com.
The feast of programmes continues later on in the year as Pandit Ravi Shanker: Celebrating his 10th Decade is performing at the Edinburgh Festival and at Birmingham in June/ August.

A friend mentioned the book 'Victoria and Abdul' and I looked it up on Amazon. An intriguing subject that I am sure will make this book worth reading. I am going to order it from Amazon, especially as I read somewhere that the author actually interviewed members of Abdul's family in India!

Bookmarks/Easter

2011-04-08T15:09:00.004+01:00

I was given a bookmark as a present, almost like a piece of beautiful jewellery, but I prefer my staid old cardboardy ones. They are stiff and often picked up at the library, at a bookstore or when I've been abroad somewhere. If I lose them I can always replace them easily. The old fashioned ones often have book blurbs on them to read. I must admit I like the social media ones that are shown above. How about you? Do you like these fancy ones that have beads and semi-precious stones on them or like me do you use a simple cardboard bookmark?
btw I have finished reading Manu Joseph's 'Serious Men' I enjoyed the book but must agree with a fellow tweeter that the 'science was overly simplified and cringe-worthy for most part' in the book, more so as the scientist was supposed to be heading for the Nobel Prize for Physics. Joseph's keen observations of life in modern India were splendid. Like Adiga he has gone for the frustrations of the dalit protagonist against his brahmin boss and done it with humour.Reading about a South Indian protagonist was also refreshing as I've seen few before, apart from characters in R.K Narayan's books.

The weather is mild, the kids are all out of school and Easter chocs and cakes are in all the stores. I was in Lidl this morning and a lady was excitedly showing me the silicone bunny cake mould she was buying. 'Making a bunny cake this afternoon for the wee ones,' she said and I shared her joy. It is the simple things in life that makes one happy, the bunch of daffs swaying golden in the breeze, the trees sprouting leaves, the pink haze of the cherry blossom already dotting the black tar pavement in some streets. Having spent twenty years of my early life in Madras where the seasons change never more than the temperature getting hot and hotter or the sudden downpour of the monsoon, it is wonderful to see the infant buds here defiantly blossoming as the winter fades away. Spring marches on.

2011-04-03T11:09:00.003+01:00

In 1993 Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her citation reads: Toni Morrison, "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality." The book 'Beloved' is dedicated to 'Sixty Million and more', beautifully written on the subject of slavery. It is a harrowing tale, not an easy read at all, yet it was compelling. What kind of mother would cut her child's head off with a hacksaw? Toni Morrison based the novel on a newspaper clipping of a true story of Margaret Garner, a young mother who having escaped slavery, was arrested for killing one of her children (and trying to kill the others) rather than let them be returned to the owner's plantation.This powerful fact is fictionalised in breathtaking prose. The last pages summed it up for me. The words that stood out for me were: 'Everyone knew what she was called, but nobody anywhere knew her name...They forgot her like a bad dream...Like an unpleasant dream during a troubling sleep. This is not a story to pass on.'
How easily mankind forgets history and repeats the same mistakes again and again? Slavery forgotten or treated like an unpleasant dream. The book had much more than that of course but what a powerful message? If you've not read it I urge you to find time for it.

I have to move on to something that is a lighter read. My library had Manu Joseph's 'Serious Men' and as it has been referred to as a 'bitter comedy' I've chosen that for my next read.

Kate & Wills

2011-03-25T13:44:00.002Z

Most magazines are obsessed with the forthcoming Royal Wedding/Weddings. My friend Ashanti Omkar, a London Correspondent of an Asian glossy magazine in North America has an impressive double-page spread in the current issue, with a few words from me. With her kind permission here's the full article:

Royal Fever With the royal wedding more than a month away, our London correspondent decided to hit the city streets and have UK’s movers and shakers divulge what it all means.

Street parties are being planned and people are being offered the chance to make walking trails tracing the steps of the much-talked-about royal relationship, which began at university in Scotland. With their nuptials taking place on April 29, 2011, they are indeed the toast of a hopeful UK. With TV viewership from around the world to exceed a record-breaking 3 million, half the world will watch His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and his bride Catherine Elizabeth “Kate” Middleton tie the knot. The UK’s economy is set to be given a huge boost due to travel and souvenir sales, and their wedding marks a national holiday.

The venue is Westminster Abbey, a place that could have brought sad memories of his mother’s funeral cortege, back in 1997. But the young prince is moving forward, and has opted for a simpler wedding than that of Prince Charles to Lady Diana on July 29, 1981. Steeped in royal history, the Abbey has beheld coronations since 1066 and was the wedding venue for both the Queen and the Queen Mother. With the couple showing benevolence by reportedly asking for all wedding gifts to be donations to charity, they are the undisputed darlings of the royal family right now.

Asians the world over have a fondness for the royals, as they have been an intrinsic part of the heritage of their ancestors. This wedding, therefore, is something of a talking point within communities worldwide, and especially the UK. Some prominent Asians in the UK shared with ANOKHI their unique views about this wedding, which is giving the royals a more modern image and highlighting their relevance in the 21st century.

Saptarshi Ray, a journalist for UK’s top broadsheet, The Guardian, says: “The royal family has not had a good decade. I think most people are fed up of hearing about Charles and Camilla or Andrew or Prince Philip's latest xenophobic rant, so the younger generation of William, Harry and Zara Phillips has been embraced quite desperately. It will be a great party, and let's face it; British summers usually consist of rain and bad sporting performances. Britain wants another Diana to fawn over and fill magazines, but Kate Middleton seems refreshingly normal, and so does William. They're a bit old before their time, so they'll probably be dignified and dull. Harry's the real star; he seems to live how royals did in medieval times.”

Leela Soma, Scottish-Asian author of the novel Twice Born, shares the connection of these two royals with beautiful Scotland: “It was uplifting to hear the announcement of the royal wedding on a cold and icy winter’s evening in Scotland. This spring has not one, but two royal weddings to look forward to. Rumours are rife that Zara Phillips, Princess Anne’s daughter, may be getting married in Scotland.”

Staying strong to this other part of the UK, Soma adds: “Prince William is no stranger to Scotland. Balmoral in Royal Deeside is the summer residence of the royal family and he has spent many happy times there. We are proud in Scotland that his pursuit of a degree and wooing the young woman Kate was at the University of St. Andrews, the oldest university in Scotland, founded in 1413.

The privacy given to Prince William and Kate Middleton at St. Andrews could have been achieved only in Scotland.” About the wedding itself, Soma shares her views on the contrast with the last big royal wedding of Charles and Diana: “April 29, 2011, will be a date to remember. The wedding will be watched by millions, and I will be glued to the TV watching every moment of it, just as I did when his beautiful mother married Prince Charles. Kate Middleton is so much like Diana in many ways and labelled a fashion icon already by the media. But she is a mature 29-year-old woman who seems to know her mind. For the young prince who lost his mum when he was just 15, his wedding day will be both joyous and poignant. I hope their life together is treated with more respect, and the paparazzi both in Britain and abroad will be aware of their need for privacy. I wish the couple a very happy future. As a writer and a poet, I look forward to Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s wedding poem.”

Puja Vedi, the director of LiveStyle Media, is also a fashionista and she examines the attire of the day: “The royal wedding has obviously generated an incredible level of interest across the globe. With Diana being such a fashion icon, it’s to be expected that the world will turn to her son's fiancée, Kate Middleton, for similar inspiration. Luckily for us, Kate's effortless style is elegant and sophisticated. Her sapphire engagement ring is being copied around the world and women are even replicating her swept back sleek hairstyle! The blue Issa London dress she wore at the engagement announcement sold out within 24 hours!”

Vedi continues on the fashion front, as this is something discussed in the UK’s media almost daily: “The burning question now is who will design her wedding dress. With Kate's chic sense of style, we're bound to be in for a fashion treat, which is great. The dress itself will be heavily replicated across the world, setting important trends and cementing the designer's place on the fashion map. It is undoubtedly one of the most important tasks in fashion history.”

Anjna Raheja, founder and managing director of UK’s biggest ethnic PR company Media Moguls, and one of Britain’s most successful Asian women, shares her view: “The royal wedding is going to be the focal point for so many people between now and April 29. I think pretty much everyone in the UK, royalist or not, is looking forward to a bit of happiness, which although it may not affect them directly, has a real halo effect. Prince William has a soft spot in the public’s heart and I think everyone is seeing this as “Diana & Charles: the Happy Version.” From a business perspective, it will be great for China, who are busy producing souvenirs, and of course for tourism — a trial for the Olympics in Britain in 2012.”

Raj Baddhan, the owner and founder of media website BizAsia.co.uk (in Birmingham, in the north of England), has a lighter and cheekier view of the wedding: “It’s great to see the amount of media coverage surrounding our future king and queen. As much as I love the British monarchy, I’ll probably be out of the country enjoying the extra holiday we’ve been given.”

In general, Asians in the UK are enthusiastic about this wedding and what it stands for. Paul Sagoo, CEO of investment company Lemon Group, makes an apt observation: “There is nothing better than a royal wedding to lift the spirits of this country, and the couple in question represents everything that’s great about the new generation.”

The date is looming and the excitement is building up. From people taking breaks during the wedding to planning pub trips to capitalizing on the business side of things, there is no doubt about it: the royals will always draw fascination from the world, especially Prince William, the throne-bound son of the much-loved Lady Diana. Buckingham Palace is always a landmark worth a glimpse — whether you watch the changing of the guard or admire the palace for historical reasons, it adds a sparkle to London and makes it a special city for many.

BY: ASHANTI OMKAR / PUBLISHED: THE LIVE BEAUTIFUL ISSUE, MARCH 2011

2011-03-17T13:19:00.002Z

A slim 135 pages'Monsieur Pain' was my first dip into Bolano. My daughter's copy of his '2666' remains untouched by me as its very size is challenging. In this book, a supposedly mystery novel,the protagonist,Mon. Pain is an ageing veteran of the First World War who has a reputation as a hypnotist. He also practices mesmerism and acupuncture. Mme Reynaud, a young widow, who he secretly loves asks him to help a Peruvian poet who is hiccupping himself to death from a strange illness.Mon Pain arrives at his bedside to mesmerize him and the story takes on a really surrealistic turn.Various other dream sequences happen, two enigmatic Spaniards offer him money which he accepts promising not treat the poet. Monsieur Pain has reason to suspect that agents loyal to Franco in the Spanish Civil War are trying to assassinate Vallejo,the poet, a supporter of the Republican cause. The story keeps taking weird turns and the worst part was that the ending did not offer any resolution at all. When he gets back to the hospital the poet had vanished!According to one review 'The novel melds existential anxiety to political terror in a measure peculiar to Bolaño.' Well,I concede he is good writer(or I wouldn't have finished the book) but his style of writing does not appeal to me at all. I'll leave him to others who enjoy such work.

Manju Kapur's 'Custody' all 455 pages of it began well as the opening sentence promised. She is a master craftsman at delivering the nuances of failing relationships and adding the strands of the extended family and pressures from the society at large with great dexterity. Unfortunatley this novel in my opinion was overlong and could have been sharper with a good edit. As always her characteristaion was exceptionally good, the children being used as pawns in the custody issue between the parents was protrayed very well. A bit disappointed that a good story was spoilt by becoming tedious in the end.

A friend of mine told me about the 'Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'by Rebecca Skloot and I also happened to see the TV Book Club reviewing and discussing this fascinating book. I am still to read it but the subject matter is one that really interests me. This is a true story of a black woman who died in John Hopkins hospital in 1951 of cervical cancer and her cells were taken without the family's knowledge and used extensively. Trillions of her cells are still alive.They have been employed in research into the polio vaccine, and into the effects of atomic warfare; they were shot into space, used in AIDS research.It is a harrowing and amazing subject and I've requested my library for a copy.

Books are a powerful mode of revealing lives that are more fantastic than fiction sometimes.

2011-03-10T21:39:00.003Z

The poet Benjamin Zephaniah was on Radio 4 Bookclub today. I've read his book the Refugee Boy that was featured on the show. 'A story that springs out of war,broken families, refugees, racial rivalries and hatreds, children who become victims almost before they’re old enough to know why.' Wars and its effect on children is told in this book through the story of Alem, a young boy who has one Ethiopian parent and another who is Eritrean. This short book I think, is a must-read.

Benjamin Zephaniah, I was surprised to learn is dyslexic, and I quote from James Naughtie's newsletter - 'to such a degree that he finds it difficult to do such readings – even of his own work – without a great deal of preparation. I suppose, I said to him, that poetry helps: it can be memorised for permanence, after all. Benjamin has spoken a good deal about his condition, and it must be a comfort to many children who find that somewhere along the wide dyslexic spectrum they’ve come across a difficulty, one that for generations in the past would have meant being consigned to the back of the classroom and being labelled "slow" or even stupid. No more.'
Gifted people overcome difficuties and present us with beautiful pieces of literature. Zephaniah is a real role model.

Books, Books and more books

2011-03-10T16:07:00.005Z

Its been a busy few days. World Book Night and giving away 'Half of a Yellow Sun' was such fun.Over 35 people turned up on a Saturday afternoon to take part in the event. Milngavie Library made a great effort and the music of Tawona Sithole and his poems were well received. The big smiles from the people as they got their books made it all worthwhile.

The Aye Write Festival is in full swing. I attended some of the events. The stunningly good one was Clarence B Jones, a 80 year old still teaching at Stanford who co-wrote the 'Dream' speech of Martin Luther King Jnr. It was a real honour and privilege to hear this icon of the sixties explaining the magic of that day in March 1963 when 'that' speech evoked such a response from all of America and the world. We re-lived that day with him as he spoke with such passion. He has offered to come and teach a 10 week course at Glasgow University entitled 'From slavery to Obama.' Wow! that would be some course!The main theatre was jam packed and the audience was happy to stay well after the scheduled time to hear him talk.

Levy and Kay were superb. Levy's articulate and intelligent answers and her wonderful reading of 'July's words'(the protagonist in the Long Song) are still ringing in my ears. Kay's book was deeply moving,an adopted child seeking her biological parents only to find that she was not accepted by either of them. Her preacher-man father in Nigeria and her nurse mother in Aberdeen both had kept her birth a secret from their new families and had no wish to reveal her existence at all. Yet Kay was able to rise above such awful rejections, second time around, and her book is sprinkled with humour. She also read couple of poems. 'Ma Broon's has a Colonic Irrigation' made us roar with laughter. Don't you love the cover picture of her?

The cancellation of Manju Kapur's event is frustrating for me. The comments on FB showed how some people felt that the Aye Write's organisation has been poor.Not enough advertising said some. I think it is more to do with very few people being aware of asian writers apart from the Booker, Orange winners. I am also ashamed to note that at any book related events I rarely see any asian people. When I arrived here in 1969 and noted the same at Citizens Theatre, museums, even films(no book fests in Glasgow then) there were hardly any asians in the crowd. I assumed it was perhaps the language barrier that prevented people enjoying the arts. But the next generation are also shying away from such events. Where are the young asian writers, poets, film makers artists? I leave you to ponder over this.

Mini book blog

2011-03-03T12:14:00.002Z

Nikesh Shukla's 'Coconut Unlimited' was shortlisted for the Costa debut Novel Prize. An easy read, it is a bittersweet 'coming of age' book about three Asian boys, in a posh public school and their gauche attempts to form a hip-hop band. I know nothing about hip-hop. My music kind of came to a stop when 50 cents, Eminem etc started the 'mantra' like noises. I preferred the old music where you could understand the lyrics. Yet this book had me giggling and reading on. Sad on one level that even in the 90's the racism was rife from pupils and teachers alike at his school and on both sides of the racial divide.His parents working hard and constantly reminding him of their sacrifices for his education was the theme throughout the book. The scene with his mum choosing a pair of jeans from C&A instead of a 'cool' shop was hilarious. So if you have a few hours spare and want to indulge in Amit, Nishant and Anand's struggle through their teen years pick this book up.

Asian Anthology

2011-02-27T11:35:00.005Z

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME
A contemporary collection of Asian writing
Edited by Farhana Shaikh
Paperback published 30 October 2010, £8.99
ISBN 978-0-9566967-0-0

New writing from thirty eight different authors and poets some with emerging voices provides a rich feast of Asian Writing in this anthology. The Forward by Claire Chambers Sen. Lecturer in English Literature Leeds Metropolitan University who specializes in South –Asian Literature sets the scene. She states that ‘South-Asian writers are producing the most nuanced and politically engaged writing in the world today’ and encouragingly adds that British Asians will consider writing as ‘a viable career choice.’
This anthology has been ably edited by Farhana Shaikh. Her passion for showcasing Asian Writing is evident with the success of her online project The Asian Writer. Here she has brought together both published and aspiring writers from across the globe to write on the theme of ‘Celebration’. The book also has a selection of interviews with authors like Roopa Farooki, Rana DasGupta, Moshin Hamid, and Nikita Lalwani. The third part of the book has an in depth interview with Lorella Belli a Literary Agent whose advice to new writers is well worth reading. In the final part twenty authors give their advice some cryptic like ‘Scare yourself.’ ‘Read, read and read more’ and some longer ones for new writers.

As with all anthologies this has some excellent pieces of prose and poetry. I commend some of the poems, like R. Hossain’s ‘I am a child of the Colony’ ‘Valentine’, by Paul Lobo Portgues, and ‘Celebration of Life’ by S.S Vikram. The authors of the short stories worked with the word celebration in its broadest sense. ‘Twilight Sojourn’ by Fehmida Zakeer was superb, the dream sequence in the mosque was well written and the anguish of the woman’s pain beautifully expressed. Sharmila Chauhan’s ‘Tiny Steps’ was excellent ending with a hopeful reconciliation. The editor’s own contribution entitled ‘Coming Home’ was a moving tale of the protagonist in the story coming to terms with the loss of her mother.

This is the first anthology of Asian Writing comprising mainly of British Asian Writers that I’ve read and I am very impressed. Farhana Shaikh is right to have taken the brave step to bring new Asian voices to the forefront. With an Asian name people expect the next Salman Rushdie or Adiga, a prize winner to come from the subcontinent. Perhaps it is time to nurture and encourage talents here in the UK.

For further information please contact Farhana Shaikh at Dahlia Publishing on 0116 2741266 or f.shaikh@dahliapublishing.co.uk. Also availble on Amazon.

2011-02-24T12:35:00.004Z

The books are here! Two boxes containing Adichie's wonderful book 'Half of a Yellow Sun' to give away on Saturday March 5th. oooh... the smell of new books is deliciously satisfying. This is the programme at the library:

World Book Night

Programme

Saturday 5th March. Milngavie Library.

2.30pm. Refreshments available.
2.45pm. African drummers welcome the books to be distributed.
3.00pm Leela Soma talks about “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie
3.15pm Questions and answers
3.30pm. Book giveaway
3.45pm African drummers
4.00pm. Finish

More pics on the day! Oh, here's a copy of the 'ticket'.

Writers Blog

2011-02-22T07:53:00.005Z

Its amazing how many wonderful people you meet on Twitter! I found Louise Wise through another fellow author Allan Mayer who directed me to her wonderful blog. Not only does Louise blog about writing her own books but is so generous with her time and is willing to promote authors who have taken the POD or self- publishing route. She has kindly given a special promo for 'Twice Born' on her blog. I have included a synopsis in it as it is one of the things that all of us authors find onerous and difficult to write. I hope some of you writers find it interesting. Here's the link to her blog: www.louisewise@blogspot.com

Louise Wise is an author of two books 'Eden' and 'A Proper Charlie' beautifully produced by YWO.

Doris Lessing

2011-02-15T17:05:00.002Z

The next Nobel Prize winner we are reading is Lessing. Her prolific writing is legendary for a woman who dropped out of school at 13! This book however- 'The Marriage between Zones Three, Four and Five' is really challenging me. It is part of a series and falls under the Science Fiction genre. I am not a great fan of SF and Lessing's novels like 'The Grass is Singing' was so much more powerful.If any of you have read all the five books in this collection known as 'Canopus in Argos'
I would love to have your thoughts on it. She was described by the Swedish Academy as "that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny" I am looking forward to the class discussion on this eminent writer. The Times ranked her fifth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Book Giveaway

2011-02-12T14:29:00.005Z

Most of you are aware of the book I am giving away on World Book Night. On Saturday 5th March at 2.30, Milngavie Library will reverbrate to an African drum(hopefully)which will herald the givaway of Chimananda Ngozi Adichie's fabulous 'Half of a Yellow Sun.' I know reading a wonderful book can uplift the spirit of anyone and transport them to faraway lands. This book certainly did that for me.I want to share that with 48 others who will hopefully enjoy the same passion as I feel for reading books. I promise some photos of the event.

2011-02-10T11:53:00.002Z

Reading for pleasure, not for my classes I had indulged in Manju Kapur's 'Difficult Daughters' - a superb novel and greedy for more I espied a copy of 'A Married Woman' at the library and read it. The latter did not have the same impact on me as her debut novel. I still think she tackles the role of a middle class Indian woman very well. The characterisation of Astha, the protagonist of 'A Married Woman' starts off well in the opening chapters. Unfortunately the story then meanders a lot and deals with various issues of her parents lives, her aspirations, her sexual love for her husband (quite explicit scenes) her day job as a teacher, her children and her abiding passion as an artist. The demolition of the Babri Masjid is the political scenario that Astha becomes aware of and then gets lured into it by the young leader. She donates a painting of hers for the cause. The novel then moves onto her brief affair with the young protest leader who dies tragically in the riots. Much later Astha meets Peepilika, the partner of her dead lover and a lesbian affair ensues. Kapur has tackled too many subjects in this novel.

I have just started Nathacha Appanah's 'The Last Brother', again borrowed from the library. The novel appealed to me as there is a personal connection. I have a very close Mauritian friend with a daughter named Natasha and I had to read the book to learn more about the island. I've only read the first 50 pages and I can see why it has had rave reviews. In the very moving opening chapter Raj is reminiscing about his childhood friend David and visits his grave. The wonderful descriptions of Mapou, the sugar plantations, his alchoholic father and two brothers who die tragically on the same day draws you into the novel.The family move to Beau Bassin where the father becomes a prison warder and that's where Raj meets his friend David a young Jewish boy from Prague. Their friendship is the theme of the book. The translation by Geoffrey Strachan is superb.I'm sure it will 'become a classic of childhood literature' as it says on the book's blurb. Another great find by 'Quercus Books'the publishers.

World Book Night

2011-02-06T18:25:00.003Z

Lots of fun things happening in February and March. The Lit scene is alive and thriving in Glasgow as shown in my other blog www.glasgowlitcorner@blogspot.com. Liz Lochead our own Glasgow poet has been made the 'Makar' or Poet Laureate for Scotland. Her poetry is alive with vigorous speech idioms; collections include True Confessions and New Clichés (1985), Bagpipe Muzak (1991) and Dreaming Frankenstein: and Collected Poems (1984). Here's is one of her poems:

SORTING THROUGH
The moment she died, my mother's dance dresses
turned from the colours they really were
to the colours I imagined them to be.
I can feel the weight of bumptoed silver shoes
swinging from their anklestraps as she swaggers
up the path towards her Dad, light-headed
from airman's kisses. Here, at what I'll have to learn
to call my father's house , yes every duster prints her
even more vivid than an Ilford snapshot on some seafront
in a white cardigan and that exact frock.
Old lipsticks. Liquid Stockings.
Labels like Harella, Gor-ray, Berketex.
And, as I manhandle whole outfits into binbags for Oxfam,
every mote in my eye is a utility mark
and this is useful:
the sadness of dispossessed dresses,
the decency of good coats roundshouldered
in the darkness of wardrobes,
the gravitas of lapels,
the invisible danders of skin fizzing off from them
like all that life will not neatly end.

So accessible and touching. Its wonderful to have two females poet Laureates in Britain today.
My classes are challenging and enjoyable. The works of Naipaul this week an indepth look at his work, 'Enigma of Arrival' a sad, melancholic book with prose that is so lucid and perfect. A contrast after the lyrical, ironic and meditative poems of Szymborska which sparkled with her own comedic touches. The other class I am attending 'Scotland and the Empire' is very informative. Tasmania populated by some Scots who were the victims of the Highland Clearances. They committed the same atrocities that were done to them by carrying out the near-genocide of the Aboriginees. This is contrasted with the wonderful work of other hard working Scots like Lauchlan Mc Quarrie still referred to as the 'Father of Australia.' Many had made their fortunes in India moved to Australia and took over huge tracts of land for grazing their sheep.It reminds me of Elihu Yale, the founder of the famous university who donated a huge amount of his ill-gotten gains to fund the university.

I quote: 'He was a fervid Anglican who served in the British East India Company between 1670 and 1699 and was governor of FortSt. George at Madras from 1687 to 1692 As governor of Fort St. George, Yale purchased territory for private purposes
with East India Company funds, including a fort at Tevnapatam (present-day
Cuddalore). He imposed steep taxation towards the upkeep of the colonial
garrison and town. His punitive measures against Indians who defaulted included
threats of property confiscation and forced exile. This spurred various Indian
revolts, which were ruthlessly quelled by Company soldiers. Yale was also
notorious for arresting and trying Indians on his own private authority,
including the hanging of a stable boy who had absconded with a Company horse.

More audaciously, Yale amassed a private fortune through secret contracts with
Madras merchants, against the East India Company's directives. This imperial
plunder, which enabled his patronage of the American university, occurred
through his monopolisation of traders and castes in the textiles and jewel
trade. By 1692, Elihu Yale's repeated flouting of East India Company
regulations, and growing embarrassment at his illegal profiteering resulted in
his being relieved of the post of governor.'

Today the Ivy League University flourishes. History opens my eyes to so many past events that I only had a vague understanding of.

March 5th and I am one of the 20,000 bookgivers on 'World Book Night!' The largesse of 48 copies of Adichie's 'Half of a Yellow Sun' will be given to people who are passionate about reading.And 'Aye Write' Glasgow's own Book Fest is on March 4th to 11th with a wonderful line up of authors.

World Literature: The Nobel Prize

2011-01-19T15:48:00.004Z

My first class on 'World Lit- The Nobel Prize' was on Monday 17th. So it was back to the routine and fun to meet up with my friends from last year.

Some interesting facts on the Nobel. 107 individuals have received the Nobel Prize for Literature and guess how many were women? Only 12! The youngest receipient was Rudyard Kipling at 42 in 1907 and oldest was Doris Lessing at 88 in 2007. Most of the prizes were for European languages. Tagore wrote in Bengali and English and was the first Non-European to receive it in 1931. We did discuss the reasons for this and were also amazed to find one writer of 'Occitan' a language of Southern France had won it. I had never heard of the language before, I was familar with Provencal, but it is only a part of that region. More fascinating was the actual criteria laid down by Alfred Nobel, and how it has been interpreted over the years. I won't go into details of that here.

We moved over to the texts that we would be looking at in detail, the first one being the poems of Wislawa Szymborska. The citation on her award stated "for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality". We now have to find out how it articulates in her work. We are studying her recently translated book of poems 'Miracle Fair'. In an article M.A. Packalen says ' the ever present existential questions are leitmotifs in Szymborska's poetry. The poems describe with the same gravity both empirical reality and the non-existing, the potential - that which is best described by its absence, a kind of quasi-reality.'

The line that stays in my mind is "Life lasts as long as a few signs scratched by a claw in the sand".

Yes, I do find some of her work challenging but look at the simplicity of this poem, the title poem in our book:

A miracle, for what else could you call it:
today the sun rose at three-fourteen
and will set at eight-o-one.

A miracle, less surprising than it should be:
even though the hand has fewer than six fingers,
it still has more than four.

Absolutely wonderful I could read poems like this again and again. The words evoke such strong emotions, the lines dance lyrical from my head straight to my heart.I am one happy person!

Friend's Books

2011-01-12T07:57:00.004Z

Two of my friends have had their books published. Allan's has been around for a while but he's offering a free ebook for all of you to download. It is a very good debut novel. As he donates part of his royalties to the Derian House Children's Hospice,I'm sure some of you would like to read and donate to this worthwhile charity.

Here's the link below:

Allan Mayer January 7 at 10:20pm Reply • Report
If you would like a free copy of Tasting the Wind go to:

http://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/why-i-am-giving-my-book-away/

As for Susan Abrahams book what can I say? It is a book of 'lyrical musings' as she describes and a very good read. I've been dipping into the book. There are three parts to the book.I have read the first one, 'Romanticism' which is heartbreakingly good. Some of the poems has tapped into some really painful experiences and worded so beautifully. I love the rhythm and the bitter sweet of some of the poems like 'The Apologetic Wife', 'The Broken Virgin' and 'Voices in the Dark' 'Faith.' I loved the start of the poem 'I read a letter not yet written...' Susan is a consummate writer, a travel fiend and a busy blogger. I'm sure you will wish to add her book to your collection. It has a very charming title ' Call the Ships at Dar-es-Salaam'

Costa First Novel Award

2011-01-05T15:03:00.002Z

I read this 242 page novel in one go. The novel certainly is a deserved winner of the award. The shocking story of a teen accused of killing all thirteen people is a page turner. You want to find out from the opening pages of the diary of the young Durga(apt choice of name!) to the narrative of the beer swilling,cigarette-toting Simran the unconventional social worker who is determined to find the truth what really happened on that night. The diary and the narrative is used to tell a searingly brutal story of female foeticide happening in the modern tech-savy middle class Punjab of today. I can see the rage seeping in the pages, that Kishwar says she felt when she saw cases of young women/ children being made victims of untold misery or deprived of their basic human right to live by a patriarchal culture that rules supreme in small town Jullunder.

I was gobsmacked when a Punjabi friend of mine related how her grandmother buried her female child in a claypot in the field. She had no other choice and still faced the wrath of the family, until a baby boy was delivered soon. That was in 1930's India. This novel is set in the present and you read hoping this is not happening now.

The plot was carefully executed for the research could have made it a dry documentary version of another police case. Desai is a skillful writer and the characters and setting are superb. Nightmarish scenes written in pellucid prose that flows like the Beas where little bodies of female babies are drowned, it is a compelling read, yes! Yet, I am filled with a great sense of disquiet.

From the 1950's (R.K Narayan being the exception)books written about India that have won awards in the West have been on themes of the quirky or tales of the worst cultural excesses of the country. Honour killings, political corruption, scams, child labour,plight of the untouchables the list goes on. I am unhappy that award judges are looking for the next sensational tale hailing from India.

I am pleased that K. Desai has got another deal for a novel with the same character of Simran. Would she start a series of novels picking the sores from the underbelly of India unwrapping more horrific tales? Misery-lit from India rolls on.

Solar Eclipse/ Jaipur Lit Festival

2011-01-04T09:00:00.007Z

Solar Eclipse today and my mind whirls back to my childhood days in India. I remember sitting excitedly with my brothers and sisters watching the solar eclipse with shades on. The warnings that one should not see it with the naked eyes was repeated often and yet the curiosity to look at the marvel of nature that happens every few years could not be restrained. Strangely enough one was also asked to take a 'headbath' that is wash ones hair and clean the whole body. Wonder why such superstitions were followed? Wash away the harmful rays maybe? The cloudy skies in Scotland today will not permit a view but one can look at images online.

Another Lit Fest with a line up of authors that is deliciously tempting. The DSC Jaipur Literature Festival considered Asia-Pacific’s leading literature event is a celebration of national and international writers and encompasses a range of activities including poetry, music & dance, debates, readings, impassioned panel discussions and workshops. Entering its sixth year, the festival has already hosted some of the best-known national and international writers & personalities including Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka, Ian McEwan, Vikram Seth, Niall Ferguson, Roberto Calasso, Roddy Doyle, Lawrence Wright, Kiran Desai, Pico Iyer, Simon Schama, Thomas Keneally, Hanif Kureishi, Vikram Chandra, Steve Coll, Daniyal Mueenuddin, Hari Kunzru, Mohammed Hanif, Colin Thubron, Suketu Mehta, Andrew O’Hagan, Geoff Dyer, Amit Chaudhuri, Fatima Bhutto, Michael Frayn, Stephen Frears, Alexander McCall Smith, Donna Tartt, Tina Brown, Shashi Tharoor, Mohammed Hanif, Paul Zacharia, John Berendt, Christopher Hampton, Nadeem Aslam, among many others.

2011-01-02T11:08:00.004Z

Just finished reading 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett. An easy read with a theme that resonates with so much of 'Helps' in India too. As the author writes she never questioned her own maid's views on her life. As a child who grew up with maids and help in India,I also took it for granted. The book deals with deeper issues. It is set in the 1960's and deals with the Jim Crow laws in action. Beautifully written in the rich language of the deep south it takes a few pages to familiarise oneself with the lingo. Soon the sentences with a bunch of negatives sounds so much more melodic, 'I ain't never seen nuthin ma'am'and it touches you. The characters are superbly drawn, two maids Abileen, the feisty Minny and the white liberal Miss Skeeter and you start visualising them. The small town Jackson in Missippi is the stereotypical small-minded deep south that we are familiar with.I enjoyed reading the book which had a tight plot making it a page turner.
I've made a start on Kishewar Desai's 'Witness the Night' which was shortlisted for the Man Asian Prize. The theme of foeticide is something I was loathe to read about but I was given the book so decided to make a start.Recommended by Khuswant Singh the 96 year old stalwart of Indian journalism and writer I'll see how it pans out.
Happy Reading!

2011

2010-12-30T14:31:00.004Z

Happy New Year to any one following this blog. Like the greeting shows I hope all my writer friends fill their books with new projects and get their novels, short stories and poems published in 2011 and everyone enjoys peace, health and happiness always. As I have stated before I am not making any resolutions at all but just taking stock as we all do and hoping to be a bit more disciplined this year. FB and Twitter have been fantastic for friendships and lit information but has also been a very addictive distraction. So in January I hope to open my new book of the year and fill its pages with something worthwhile. A small plea to friends if you are following this blog please acknowledge when you can either in comments or click following. So many of you tell me 'I read that in your blog' but I never knew that you are a follower. The other plea is this. As a new writer I would be grateful for your reviews of my book on Amazon. I had so many emails to me personally on how much you liked 'Twice Born' but a few lines on Amazon, if you use it, would make a tremendous difference to a new writer.
A new beginning in 2011 is full of promise to look forward. I hope reading about Isabel Allende's literary routine kick starts in me, a new disciplined way of approaching my writing life. She starts a new novel every year! From Wikipedia:

"Allende also holds to a very methodical literary routine. She writes using a computer, working Monday through Saturday, 9:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. "I always start on January 8," Allende stated; "a tradition she began in 1981 with a letter she wrote to her dying grandfather that would become the groundwork for her first novel, The House of the Spirits." Allende is also quoted as saying:

In January 8, 1981, I was living in Venezuela and I received a phone call that my beloved grandfather was dying. I began a letter for him that later became my first novel, The House of the Spirits. It was such a lucky book from the very beginning, that I kept that lucky date to start.

Happy reading and writing to all my blog followers and the all the best for 2011.

World in Books Series- India

2010-12-03T09:51:00.007Z

Fantastic evening at the Milngavie Bookshop with Prose Punch and Pakora. Well punch is from India as most people are aware, the five spices(The word panch means five) added to the wine gave a special flavour to the evening. Twenty people came along wrapped up against the chill and enjoyed listening to a short extract from my new novel 'Bombay Baby' and a couple of poems on Diwali. Even the Lord Provost of East Dunbartonshire, managed to attend the event.
To the strains of Ravi Shankar they watched how to tie a sari, marvelling at the six yards worn so elegantly by the women in India, though the mannequin was a bit tricky to keep up straight and we all had a laugh as it fell once and was rescued by a gentleman sitting beside it. Some had their hands painted with henna and liked the fact that the herb tattoo would wash away in a couple of weeks and not taint the skin permanently. The evening ended with everyone tucking into a delicious meal provided by Cafe Review's Gillian. Such events add a bit of culture and fun to book readings and authors who have participated like the change from a formal book reading to a different format that has elements of music, food and other aspects and it attracts more people. Anyway a freezing evening was warmed up wonderfully by the bookshop that serves the local community with unique new events.

A Spanish/tapas evening is next on the cards at the shop. Hola!

Milngavie Library

2010-12-01T20:03:00.009Z

On a snowy afternoon at the library where the fountain outside, still sprinkled in the fading sunshine I listened to the fascinating story of Elenor Kasrils. She was a remakable woman born in Kilmarnock,'the best Scottish export' as the Hon Consul Brian Filling described her and most certainly an 'Unlikely Secret Agent'. An affectionate tribute to his wife, Ronnie Kasrils has written this wonderful tale set in the short period between 1960 to 1963, just after the 'Sharpville' uprising that is indelible in all our minds. Her courage was second to none. Most of us have heard of Ruth First, Joe Slovo and other brave South Africans who participated in the struggle against Apartheid but unaware of the silent few who gave so much to the liberation of the majority. Their work together in the Natal province and mainly in Durban achieved massive success against the Apartheid Government as they ducked and dived from the Special Branch and took part in clandestine actions, even involving bombing some government offices and disrupting electricity pylons but never taking any lives.It was a privilege to hear of their life together and to meet the writer a former Minister in the South African government till 2004. The book is a slim paper back but I am sure a sequel would follow.

A book Launch

2010-11-30T11:42:00.003Z

Invited to the book launch of Ronnie Kasrils 'Unlikely Secret Agent' at my local library. If the snow has not stopped the buses I'll be there. The review of the book makes for fascinating reading. It is set in 1963 South Africa, in Durban and tells the story of Elenor Ronnie's wife and her role as a secret agent for the ANC. To quote from the blurb of the book 'This remarkable story of a young woman's courage and daring at a time of increasing repression in apartheid South Africa is told here for the first time with great verve and elan by Eleanor's husband, Ronnie Kasrils, who eventually became South Africa's Minister of Intelligence Services in 2004. He is the author of a bestselling autobiography, Armed and Dangerous.'

Reading & Charity

2010-11-29T11:40:00.004Z

Apart from dipping into Szmyborska's poetry I decided to start on the first book for my course on 'World Literature: The Nobel Prize.' One of the set books for the course is Naipaul's 'Enigma of Arrival.' I've read a few of his books but not this one. The opening pages are descriptions of a tiny piece of Wiltshire written with a sharp eye and lucid prose. A bit melancholic so far, hope it gets better as I progress through the book. I am also enjoying reading the little book on 'Coffee with Michaelangelo' and learning so much that I did not know about him, his poetry for a start!

In my mail today I had one of these charity organisations asking for a Chritsmas donation. I salute them all for their sterling work but implore them to spend less on the freebies they are sending me to get my attention. It has grown from pens, stationery, wrapping paper, personalised cards to a CD of Christmas songs! I'd rather they spend that money on the cause.

Snow and more snow

2010-11-28T10:45:00.005Z

Snow and more snow, pretty as a postcard from inside a warm house. I see a car wind its way out (maybe for church) and marvel at the stark beauty of mother nature. Would I like to drive in it? Maybe not. Today I can indulge in more of Szymborska or start on Naipaul's 'Enigma of Arrival'. The perfect day to curl up with a book.

Sun and Snow

2010-11-27T10:35:00.004Z

Sun and snow what a wonderful combination! In Szymborska's poem 'Miracle Fair' she draws our attention to
'Commonplace miracle:
that so many commonplace miracles happen.
...
A miracle, for what else could you call it:
today the sun rose at three-fourteen
and will set at eight-o-one.'

Her words entrall me simple and perfectly put together to warm my heart.

November

2010-11-26T16:49:00.011Z

November is almost over and I have been so remiss with my blog. So the new resolution even before the New Year ones begin is to write at least a weekly one. Now that is in black and white I must keep it up. Even a brief weekly update would be a good start.
Well, the exciting news is the Diwali event at my local Milngavie Bookshop.A full meal and more than just a book reading to give people a flavour of a Diwali evening is the general idea. The owner is going out of the way to make her 'World in Books' series a real eye-opener to the local community. She has already hosted a Scottish one in January, an Irish book day, an American one in July, a French one if I remember right and now the Indian one on Dec 2nd.I will be posting some pics of the event.
With my daughter's help I also started the Glasgow Lit Corner Blog and it is time consuming but wonderful to see so many are on board. It is so useful to know the events taking place just for the written word and in Glasgow. It would have been too onerous a task to cover other parts of Scotland. If you have an upcoming event in Glasgow do add it to the blog.

Festivals Galore

2010-10-13T09:26:00.007+01:00

'All that we are is the result of what we have thought.' Buddha

A profound and true statement. When I read words that leap out of the page I know that the author has thought carefully about arranging the words in such a way that it affects me.

The book festivals of the Spring /Summer are enjoyable. A lot of activities like meeting writers and hearing them read their work is wonderful. I look at the plethora of Festivals now and wonder what draws people in such big numbers to these events.Is it just excellent marketing or is it a new kind of awareness? Does seeing the author in the flesh fulfill a deep need about how and why the author has penned his /her words? Favorite questions usually are how and when do you write? Very rarely asked of other creative people, there is a kind of fascination in the process of writing.
For some reason I had forgotten to publish these strange eclectic thoughts during summer time, don't know why!

Autumn/Winter is the time to get cozy, hibernate and coorie into the duvet. What happens though is people start to celebrate all kinds of festivals to keep the spirits up during the long dark nights. I love this season, bright lights,Navrathri the nine nights of feasting and socialising, Halloween followed by Diwali the festival of lights and then Christmas of course.

Lit Glasgow

2010-09-30T21:47:00.005+01:00

So much happening in Glasgow that it glows with literary events almost every day. We are so lucky to have access to such a rich variety of events.

Reading the Leaves, Friday 1st October, Tchai Ovna, Glasgow. 8pm

MHAFF Oct 2nd 1-9 pm and OCT 3rd 1- 3 pm at the CCA, including Bernard Maclaverty. Many more films and plays eg: 'Four Plays' Readings 'Life.'

Strathkelvin Writers' Group meets every Tuesday at 7.30pm in the hall of St James the Less Episcopal Church, Hilton Road, Bishopbriggs.

'40 Plays for the price of one' at Oran Mor in the 'A Play, A pie and A pint' season at 1 pm, Monday 4th oct. : http://playpiepint.com/?p=2155

National Poetry Day 7th October has events all over the city. The Federation of Writer's (Scotland) has a top event at GOMA don't miss it.Check out their website www.writersfederation.org.uk/

Weegie Wednesday 0ct 13th Universal Bar 7.30 pm. Too good to miss.

I often find that there is so much going on that maybe we all need reminders. So here's my proposal. I'll update every fortnight the events that I am aware of in Glasgow. If you know of any others do FB me or email me and I can add them to my fortnighly list.

Autumn

2010-09-18T11:29:00.010+01:00

September is almost away and I have neglected my blog. Too busy with life and struggling a bit with an eye problem that has restricted my reading and writing.If it is a chronic condition like it seems to be,then I need to refocus and get on with it and structure my activities accordingly. Great authors like Sue Townsend still continue to write like the Adrian Mole Series even with such a great disability as failing vision. At least my vision is fine so I should stop moaning and get on with life.
Exciting news is of course that I won some National Book tokens and I veer between wanting to buy the latest Booker prize authors or classics that I meant to read. I am still dithering about what books to buy. The next class I 'll be attending is on World Literature- The Nobel Prize Winners so I will be buying copies of the reading list first. These following authors have been suggested. Le Clesio, Doris Lessing, V.S. Naipaul( 'The man who loves to wound civilisation' a quote I always remember of him) and poet Szymborska.The course starts in January so plenty of time to read and re-read the great works.Sometimes an easy read is the perfect choice for me, so I delved into Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol' and enjoyed it.
Milngavie Festival was held this month. It was a really enjoyable week of bookish and arty events in my local town. I met a lot of new and some famous writers. I recommend a single 'book day' in every village and town. The local schools were involved and the pleasure it gave the young ones was quite clear. For the last 4 years Edinburgh as Unesco's A City of Literature runs special projects on reading and gives away books to school children. A wonderful idea that I wish every country could afford to do.

Happy Madras Day

2010-08-22T15:17:00.004+01:00

Celebrating its 371th Birthday my birth city of Madras/Chennai has lined up a host of activities. School children and adults have made August 22nd 2010 a day to remember with exhibitions, Design a T-shirt contest,( photo attached) parades music and noisy parties galore. Why am I three thousands of miles away rejoicing? Well, Madras is my birth city and fond nostalgic memories of my school days and university life come flodding back but there is another link. It was arrival of the two Scottish young men Andrew Cogan and Francis Day agents of the John Company who came to get cheap calico cloth that laid the foundation of the East India Company and the start of the Empire. We in 'Chennapatanam' were the kind hosts who welcomed the foreigners to our land. The sound of the waves crashing on Madras Beach, the sweat, the heat and dust of my city, the crazy traffic, the tasty hot food and the fabulous silk sarees of Nalli's all vie for my attention in my mind's eye. Thoughts crowd the mind of my family, both happy and sad incidents and traditions long forgotten that was part of my twenty years of growing up in the sub-tropical city and made me what I am today. Good Shepherd's High School, Stella Maris College and Madras University that shaped my educational life and helped in my teaching career in Glasgow and the resilience to adapt to a new country all those years ago. I am truly lucky to have two cities that I can call my home, Madras and Glasgow.

Blatant Self Advertising

2010-07-24T10:29:00.000+01:00

Dear friends and family,

My book, Twice Born, was published today as a multi-format ebook at Smashwords. As many of you know, the book was launched at Borders last year.The novel is set in Glasgow and Madras and has the universal themes of love and betrayal. I hope you'll take time to check it out at Smashwords, where you can sample the first 20% of the book for free.

Here's the link to my Smashwords author profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/leelasoma
Here's the link to my book page, where you can sample or purchase the book: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/19648

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
leela

Commencement/ Graduation

2010-05-17T13:57:00.005+01:00

We had a wonderful insight into American University life as my daughter graduated with summa cum laude this May. The Commencement/ Graduation ceremony ( yes, the two countries are divided by a common language) was fabulous. The American razzamatazz was obvious from the first thing we glimpsed as we entered the the huge Alumni Hall. As the pic shows the message of Congratulations to the students was made entirely of cupcakes in the university colours and given to all of us at the end of the ceremony. Inside we were given hot coffee,doughnuts and a super warm welcome. On that cold morning with snow flurries it was just what we needed. The show was staged with huge screens at two ends of the dais. The speeches were good. Senator Schumer
(the one in whose office my daughter is doing an internship) recounted his personal journey from a Law graduate to a politican and inspired them all with funny and relevant words. A consummate politician, he got his Democratic messages through and despite the present state of the economy he goaded them to aim high and 'Go For It'. Later,there was a beach ball floating around, a few high jinks but everything was taken in good spirits and the ceremony ended with each student's names announced loudly, some gave a gentle wave to their parents in the audience, some did a crazy hip hop to our delectation. The fruit punch, choc-chip cookies, brownies and more sweets helped to end the morning on a sugary note. Proudly we hugged our double graduate daughter and moved onto a party to celebrate the great day.In the two generations of our tiny family of three we have undertaken degrees in India, the UK and USA, with a smattering of certificates in French and German, not forgetting the two other Indian languages my husband is able to handle apart from our mother tongue Tamil.
We enjoyed the experience and the spirit of 'we can' seen all over the city of Buffalo, despite the downturn in the economy. My one regret? President Obama arrived in Buffalo the day we were leaving for the airport,so we missed seeing him in person. I would have queued and waited for a chance to see him but that was not to be.

Olfactory Delights

2010-02-28T13:37:00.005Z

The baby gurgled and holding her close to me the gentle ‘Baby Johnson Lotion’ smell evoked a broody and emotional tug in my heart. Holding my baby daughter years ago and sniffing her baby smell is something that I’d never forget. Driving back home other olfactory delights came streaming into the consciousness. Entering the bathroom after my dad had showered using Mysore Sandal soap was pure joy. The smell of freshness was so physical that I could almost touch it. I remember using the soap myself and trying to get some lather from the soap was never easy, but the perfume compensated. I used to come out of the shower exuding a lovely scent that always gave me a luxurious feeling. Other memories vied for attention. Cuticura talc a liberal sprinkling before rushing off to school, spreading white plumes that landed on the clean tiles. That was a source of pleasure. The soft petals of fresh jasmine or champak in my hair or the smell of crushed flowers when I woke up in the morning, the pillowcase strewn with browning flowers is ingrained in my dna. Memories are not made up of only scenes or people. They can be composed of strong smells, pleasant and unpleasant that makes our lives rich and returns when we least expect. A visit to a friend and seeing a small baby brought on a flood of memories. A lovely surprise.

Red Roses

2010-02-11T13:17:00.007Z

The Shiv Sena in Mumbai is doing my head in. Their right wing nonsense is destroying our diverse and tolerant society. So here is a small to riposte to their opposition to Valentine's day, in couplet form.

Red Roses

'What Valentine's Day? No,No,No! We don't have such a thing
In India we're still in Victorian times, with Bollywood bling

No lovin in public, no holding hands, no kiss on the screen
Red roses and champagne is for you, we dance round the green.'

Yet, one billion people and counting, something must work
In all that glow of a sunny clime Kamasutra sure does lurk.

Smell the roses and have a Happy Valentine's day.

Burns, Fast food, Lit Fest

2010-01-23T14:39:00.012Z

Fast food is taking over the old favourite cafes in my birth city of Chennai. I googled the menu in McDonalds. I was curious to see the words in Tamil. They are offering veggie options like Paneer Wraps along with non-veggie ones like the Maharajah Mc Chicken. Can't imagine a Maharajah Chicken McNugget though! LOL. KFC not to be outdone has also opened nearly fifty outlets in India though I did hear anecdotally that a pregnant lady was advised not to eat their chicken as it might be 'dangerous' for someone in her condition!

Jaipur Lit Fest grows stronger. Couple of photos showing the colourful Fest with a fantastic line up of authors. Despite fog delaying some authors arriving on time, it appears to have been a resounding success. I loved the report on the English language and the arguments that the Queens English was replaced by President's English or the Call Centre speak. Mark Tully commented that all children should be taught their mother-tongue till sixth standard.

The most interesting feature of this year's fest is the focus on Dalit Literature. P.Sivakami a Chennai writer and political activist has said and I paraphrase 'upper caste Hindus have only a caste conscience and not a public or a human conscience.' At least the first step has been taken in redressing this issue at last. Affirmative action in all aspects of Dalit's lives is slowly being taken in India.It is also heartening to see that the fest has not been hijacked by the Bollywood or the politician brigade looking for publicity. The Fest continues till Jan 25th when the world celebrates our own Burn's supper with haggis and a wee dram for our National Bard.SLAINTE.

Childhood tales

2010-01-05T18:31:00.006Z

A dream about a woman selling anklets brought a tale told to me as a child to mind. Cilapathigagram,one of the five ancient and great pieces of Tamil literature had the story of Kannagi famed for her chastity and seeker of justice.Written in 1stCentury AD/CE it was recounted to me when I was a tiny girl.The passion and drama of the story line appealed to me then. I reread the translated work. The striking fact hit me now.In the 1stCentury AD/CE a woman had the audacity to take on a king and demand justice. Check out the fascinating story by googling.

"Tamil creative genius to the world's cultural treasure and should be familiar to the whole world and admired and beloved by all in the same way as the poems of Homer, the dramas of Shakespeare, the pictures of Rembrandt, the cathedrals of France and the sculptures of Greece..... the epical poem Cilappathikaram, which by its 'baroque splendour', and by the charm and magic of its lyrical parts belongs to the epic masterpieces of the world....." (Tamil Contribution to World Civilisation - Czech Professor Dr. Kamil Zvelebil in Tamil Culture - Vol. V, No. 4. October, 1956)"

The statue of Kannagi on Marina Beach in Madras has a fascinating story too.The last Chief Minister hastily removed the statue at night as she was taken to court for corruption on an incredible scale and did not want the idea of justice being demanded by a woman in 1stC A.D to remind people of their right to demand a fair government. It has been reinstated by the present CM.

Tales told to you as a child always remains in the subconscious and resurfaces when you least expect it. I wonder how many young children are exposed to the sheer joy of listening to tales from parents, grandparents or family friends? With little time between school, ipods, TV, computer games and the ubiquitous mobile phone they have scant time to while away an afternoon relishing old stories from the older generation.

Christmas Carol

2009-12-16T08:47:00.004Z

This was sent to me by a cousin's wife in India. Very interesting.
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.

Christmas in India

2009-12-12T17:55:00.005Z

I thought of this short poem by Rudyard Kipling to remind us of the colours, the sounds and the smells that imprints on our minds when we are faraway from our land of birth or origin.
The picture of Christmas Decorations on a banana leaf is so typical of a Kerala Christmas that I had to put it here.

Christmas In India
By Rudyard Kipling

Dim dawn behind the tamerisks -- the sky is saffron-yellow --
As the women in the village grind the corn,
And the parrots seek the riverside, each calling to his fellow
That the Day, the staring Easter Day is born.
Oh the white dust on the highway! Oh the stenches in the byway!
Oh the clammy fog that hovers
And at Home they're making merry 'neath the white and scarlet berry --
What part have India's exiles in their mirth?

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year.

Most Interesting Bookstores of the World

2009-12-05T10:16:00.001Z

Most Interesting Bookstores of the World

Absolutely gobsmacking. Got it from Twitter.

Biography

2009-11-19T14:41:00.007Z

My friend Palo gave me the biography of JRR Tolkein. My daughter read the whole boxed set of his works, and I watched the dvd's with her I'm ashamed to say.His biography though is fascinating. To read how writers started their journeys into writing, how their stories are influenced by their lives is so interesting that I'm spending too much time reading rather than finishing my own novel.
JRRT's love language, his teaching career at Oxford on philology, his mother's early influence and his love of languages is amazing. Old English, Middle English, Latin, Greek, Welsh, Finnish, Gothic, inventing his own language started very early. His love of trees and landscape was nurtured in his childhood. I love the reference to a postcard that he bought when he was very young and later marked it as 'origin of Gandalf'. The book is written by Humphrey Carpenter, who has researched it meticulously and even met the great man.Words, words words! How lucky are we to be able to dwell on them and savour each sound and meaning?They make our lives so rich.

Paisley Film Society

Linda Mundell and a few buddies have started this film society in Paisley.I'm just listened to her interview on BBC Radio Scotland on the Movie Cafe with Janice Forsyth. In the art centre on the High street every Tuesday and even some matinees promised.A wee plug for my friend.Google and get the details.

Tartan

2009-10-29T16:24:00.003Z

I read that the bright colours on the tartan which were attributed to local plant dyes were actually imported. It has been scientifically proven that red was from cochineal from the Americas and the bright blue is indigo imported from India. The connections between India and Scotland fascinate me.

Here I cheekily post a sari advert from a famous silk house in South India.It is a modern version of a very old silk print that has been woven for hundreds of years. But I see a tartan pattern in it. My grandmother had similar silk saris. Of course tartan and bagpipes were also made in Punjab for the British Army. From Paisley near Glasgow that had mills reproducing the beautiful pattern that originated in India to the tartan dyes, the links between the two countries weaves a wonderful pattern in my mind.

Madras Club

2009-10-26T09:16:00.000Z

Wallowed in David Lean's spectacular film of EM Foster's 'Passage to India'on Saturday afternoon on Channel Five. The scenes at the club in the film reminded me of Madras Club in my hometown. The film caused controversy when the rock caves were blasted to create the scene that David Lean wanted. As Ian Jack of the Times wrote it was almost as sacrilegious as blasting Stonehenge. Media hype I suppose, but wonder how many rocks in Scotland would be allowed to be blasted by Bollywood directors? David Lean's craft is unmatched of course and I enjoyed the film.

Time to Blog is getting harder as Twitter, FB and writing my next novel is taking hold.The rough draft of the novel is the hardest to complete.That's where I am just now.Then comes the editing and polishing. I am happy with the theme of the new novel and it is good when a sentence turns out just right.

Finally the photo shows me at the SMAFF held at the Mitchell Library on 16th and 17th October when I was plugging my novel 'Twice Born' at the Border's outlet. Don't miss the balloons!

One can only dream

2009-09-25T00:48:00.005+01:00

Taking a break from writing Novel 2. Looked at some beautiful book cover designs.Rich colours that reflect the Indian aspect of the book is so tempting to use. The paisley one in black and white is so classy.I am dreaming of vivid colours hoping that would egg me on to complete the novel. Now all I need is to get the next squillion words written.The research is another distraction, I spend hours learning new facts.The joy of writing and the luxury of dreaming is so delicious.Forget swine flu,G20 meeting, Smeaton(!) and dream on Leela.

Dog Days

2009-09-01T15:14:00.005+01:00

I couldn't resist when I saw this photograph,I had to put it on my blog. I was reading about my birth city Madras now Chennai, as it celebrated its 370 years of existence as a city. 'Madras Day' is celebrated on August 22 nd.Two Scotsmen Cogan and Day were the culprits who started the British settling there.We are all connected in so many ways. But the photograph is incredible showing the heat of Madras in May- June and the inevitable Gin and Tonic on the table, the brolly and I think the wireless in the background.The poor punkawallah fanning the master and a dog sitting on the chair says it all. Lovely bit of history in one little photograph.

M've Art Festival

2009-08-30T15:56:00.007+01:00

2-6 the September The second Milngavie Book & Art Festival, please come if you are free. Some great authors, artists and a super atmosphere is guaranteed.Hope they pay me for this advert!I am looking forward to seeing Laura Marney, Alan Bisset, Janet Paisley and other authors at the fest.
My fall down the stairs last week scuppered my best laid plans for visitng St. Andrews and EIBF. Well that's life I guess. Iam so much better today, thanks to so many well wishers, family and friends to pamper and fuss over me.Reading Tash Aw's fantastic book The Map of the Invisible world and it inspired me to write a poem. A great new writer whose book transports me to the Far East a place I'm still to visit.
A new challenge now for me. I have been flattered that I have been asked to adjudicate a Short Story Competition. I feel awed and excited.Hope I do a good job.

EIBF, Courses

2009-08-19T11:11:00.012+01:00

Edinburgh international Book Festival is in full swing. I'll be there next week.I just love the atmosphere of the tent and browsing the huge number of new books. The crowds and the fringe acts on the street make it so colourful and vibrant.Which authors do I want to hear? I'm still thinking about it.I noticed that all the workshops on writing were sold out except ones on poetry.No surprise there.Looking forward to a couple of days out in Edinburgh.Oh Iam also away to visit a friend in St. Andrews on Monday so a busy week ahead.
Two thick brochures from Glasgow University Dace and Strathclyde University arrived by post. There are so many courses on Creative Writing,Languages,Art Appreciation, Computer use, Digital camera and Philosophy. I want to do them all. Its wonderful that there is such a wide choice. Aren't we lucky in UK that the courses are so accessible? The courses and number of new tutors on Creative Writing has increased tremendously. Is everyone writing that one book that's supposed to be in all of us,I wonder?Some of the tutors are still doing their M.Litt courses so maybe they can shed a light on how to get that best seller out and get a two or three book deal.

A rant

2009-08-12T12:40:00.008+01:00

I'm not a happy cookie. Just finished reading Alexander Mc Call Smith's new book in the 44 Scotland Street Series 'The Unbearable Lightness of Scones'. I love his writing, devour his easy-to-read gentle tales of Mama Ramotswe or the tales set in Edinburgh. But this has got me rattled.He has portrayed Glasgow in all its stereotypical awfulness. The character from Glasgow is 'Lard O' Connor'aka Aloysius Igantius Xavier O' connor, a huge beast of a gangster, who asks for a pie and chips at the douce 'Glass and Thomson' where one could never order pie and chips, of course, just quiche and poor Lard has to make do with a double quiche with loads of tomato sauce!Lard dies of a heart attack brought on by his dreadful diet.Basically Glasgow is a minging place with gangster lowlife with a diet to match. E'burgh comes out as a gentle, civilised place as one of the characters is unable to drop peanut shells at the Long Bar at Raffles in Singapore as she was born and bred in E'burgh! Has he ever been to Pilton or other estates in E'burgh? It is a lot of Morningside piffle with Ian Rankin, Magnus Linklater and other Burghers of the Capital city making an appearance.I know I should not be berating Scotland's greatly admired writer but this book really put me off. Sorry for the rant. Other Glaswegians have a read and tell me please if I'm wrong.

Afternoon champagne tea

2009-08-11T16:22:00.010+01:00

Well the computer was down, and I enjoyed a fabulous break from the keyboard. Treated myself and my daughter to an afternoon champagne tea at Fifi and Ally in Princes Square. Just look at the cute doggies on the wallpaper!It was so good to indulge in an old-fashioned teatime treat.In India of course there was always Tiffin in the afternoon when we had yummy treats and tea.We also went to the cinema and surprise, surprise some retail therapy.She leaves for USA next week.
And now that the computer is back I have no excuse at all. So back to the grind.I had a look at the drafts of my novel two and decided that I must get it finished. The ideas are surging now, the characters talking to me in my head so I need to get it all down. News from Edinburgh Book Fest also inspires writing.So many talented new authors from all over the world making their mark in the beautiful city.

e books audio versions ?

2009-07-24T12:21:00.005+01:00

Fellow writer friends are going for ebook version of their book and one dear friend has also got an audio version of his. What should a technophobe like me do? I love new technology and gaze in wonder at all the dizzying heights of progress but can only hack a small amount with any sense of understanding.
Shoulder still in agony xray results in 7-10 days.May have inherited my mum's oesteo arthritis.No cure then, grin and bear it as I hate taking Ibuprofen even now.
Scribbled a lovely poem at dawn but can't read my own writing now!Need to work on it maybe after lunch.My garden now a poetry of nature, blooming in all hues.

Bruce Springsteen in Hampden or Oxfam Bookfest?

2009-07-15T13:40:00.012+01:00

Brucie boy's concert had a wee bit of an effect on our audience.How can I win against 'Pink Cadillac and My Lucky Day'? The heavy showers also kept some people away, but all in all a good event. Tawona's lullaby in Shona language, the unique music of Zimbabwe and the surprise participation of Bryam Owen made it a good evening. James, John and Anne at the Oxfam Bookshop had put in all the effort to make it happen.
I'm glad to say that I feel so much better that I even managed to go to my aquarobics class this morning.Good health is so important we take it for granted always. So another writers event this evening with Rosemary Goring as Chair of Creative Scotland Literature group and a new author Andrea McNicoll's debut novel, I'm sure it would be an interesting evening.

BookFest at City Chambers

2009-07-10T09:27:00.008+01:00

Struggled in to City Chambers in George Square on the 8th midmorning. Felt dizzy and ill.Managed to croak my way through my short readings.The function suite was stunning, the event so touching in many ways as the readers reflected the diversity in Glasgow. Mahmood , the Iranian poet was wonderful, read some in Farsi, the Persian lilt so rich to listen to. Jamila the Irish/ Asian poet read with music in the background, the Kosovan ladies, the Somailian young girl read pieces that were touching, words from the heart. Mariyam chaired the meeting really well. The Oxfam staff's hard work had this wonderful bookfest off to a great start. The line up in the afternoon was 'awesome', like Liz Lochhead, Donny O'Rourke, Caro Ramsey, Margaret Thomson Davies, Karen Campbell etc but I had to get back to my bed, felt I could not sit there anymore, feeling weak and dizzy.

Going to the doc this afternoon to get this sorted, if it is a nasty bug I need some antibiotics to get rid of it. Sorry to be such a moan but it has gone on for too long.

Milo and the Bookfest

2009-07-06T13:16:00.005+01:00

Here is Milo my friends cute little Maltese pup.Wish I had him! He is sooooooooo cute. I just saw him yesterday and he is playful and a joy to be with.

Kind comments from a reviewer of my novel 'Twice Born' lifted my spirits from the hayfever onslaught. David Evans is a freelance journalist based in Edinburgh and who writes extensively for magazines in the Far East has read my book and sent me a copy of his review.

I have taken a few sentences from his piece and quote :

"Leela Soma’s enchanting descriptions of India’s colourful festivals and foods, against the backdrop of Glasgow’s bland streets as the city transforms itself through the 80s and 90s to European City of Culture neatly illustrates the challenge faced by many of the city’s immigrants over the years. Soma’s is a story of one young Indian family whose circumstances will strike accord with similar families from any number of countries. Again, Soma, herself born in India before arriving in Glasgow in 1969, is adept at illustrating the gap between East and West with her illuminating prose. Twice Born manages to weave an intriguing story around real events and facts that will open the eyes of many readers to the challenges faced by new arrivals to Scotland. Soma’s prose is both informative and captivating, and her ability to entertain and enlighten is one many authors struggle to conquer. "

Oxfam's Bookfest is on and I am particpating at the all day event at the City Chambers in Glasgow on Wednesday 8th July. I hope the first bookfest of Oxfam is a resounding success , making books more accessible to all. Their new 'Oxtales' is a wonderful collection from famous writers who have donated their time and effort to this worthy cause. Hope many people particpate by donating their books and time to this charity.

Online Mags

2009-06-29T14:19:00.007+01:00

I 've not been keeping too well, the hayfever and cold combination has floored me more than I expected. Slowly getting back to normal. The strong antihistamine makes me drowsy. Not upto my 'ole sparklin' self. Brilliant weather in Glasgow but not for people like me with allergies.

I was thrilled to be informed that my book 'Twice Born' and its review by Susan Abrahams has been posted on an Online magazine http://www.boloji.com/ . I was told that this online magazine has 28,000 readers in North America, hope some would be interested in reading the novel.Though all new writers are using the net, to get noticed is no easy task as it is so vast. Couple of my followers emailed me asking why my blog was not being updated. I wish they would write some comments or link my blog to their sites as it would help a lot to get more exposure for 'Twice Born'.

Doing some research for my next book I was surprised to note that a new 'Madras Day' is celebrated on August 22 nd in my birth city of Madras/Chennai. There are some great photos and activities about the wonderful city on http://www.madrasday.in/. Have a read when you have time. The photograph on the front page is worth looking at. The photo below evokes memories of the beach where I used to enjoy an evening with my family, standing in the water and screaming as the foamy surf engulfed our feet.

I am reading the tome (936 pages) 'Shantaram' at last after years of it lying in my bedside pile. I lawys felt it was too long and Ineed time to read it. I have made a start and it is good. Also a book of poetry collection by Maya Angelou, a poet who writes exactly what she feels. Rich, exquisite in some and deeply moving her work should be a must read for all.

Book Groups

2009-06-20T08:57:00.006+01:00

Been a bit ill with the flu and awful hayfever, a chronic condition that spoils the beautiful summer here for me. But hey that's life and I should be grateful for so many other things in life. Like having wonderful friends who invited me to their book groups. I got the experience of talking to people who have read my book and asked questions about the characters, the plot and how I managed to write my first novel. Both groups were extremely useful for me to get direct feedback. The positive feedbacks made it all worthwhile. One of the ladies said 'my husband asked me to tell you that he read your book in one go and loved it, he's looking forward to the next one'. It is so reassuring that 'Twice Born' appeals to both men and women. I am still not used to being addressed as an author and have to remind myself that this is the life of an author. All I need now is to get one good review in the national newspapers.
I had to miss the Westend Festival event as I was quite ill with hayfever and a mild bout of flu, not swine fever I hasten to add.
Last night I was at Milngavie Bookshop celebrating the Independent Booksellers week. A.L.Kennedy read from her book'Day'. Her style is quite unique. The shop plied us with glasses of champagne and strawberries dipped in chocolates. Now that's a sure way to get people to enjoy the evening.It was also good for me to see that only one copy of my book was left on the shelf in the shop, so I need to give them more copies of 'Twice Born'.

OXFAM BOOKFEST JULY

2009-06-11T09:49:00.004+01:00

Early notice of Oxfam's Bookfest that I am taking part in.

Here is the info:

World Poetry Night, July 14th
@Oxfam Bookshop

Featuring Indo-Scot poet Leela Soma and Zimbabwean Tawona Sithole.
An instore evening of poetry and music to inspire and educate.
There will an opportunity for budding poets to read from their own work and refreshments will also be provided.
7.30 pm start. £2 entry.
Address: Oxfam Bookshop, 330 Byres Road.
Tel: 0141 338 6185. oxfamshopf6029@oxfam.org.uk.

Blog a Penguin India Classic

2009-06-10T15:44:00.008+01:00

When I was on holiday in USA I received a letter and a book, a Penguin India Classic with a request, asking if I would like to write a review on their recently launched 'Blog aPenguin India Classic' site. On my return home, I thought it such an honour that I set about the task after my Borders book launch. It is a book that Iam familiar with but writing a review for such an ancient text that is revered and held in great esteem made me feel quite nervous. Well, I 've had a go. Here it is:

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Kural by Tiruvalluvar, translated by P.S. Sundaram, reviewed by Leela Soma

The first rhyming words one hears as a child, a mere play on words to infant ears, steep into one’s conscience and are never forgotten. The first couplet of the Kural by Tiruvalluvar, translated by P.S. Sundaram is ingrained in the DNA of most Tamil children:

“A begins the alphabet
And God, primordial, the world.”

The cadences, inflections and richness of the mother tongue become part of our heritage, of who we are. As a child I remember the joy of reciting this couplet and feeling proud to have mastered the tongue-twisting beauty of these words. Rereading this Penguin Classic ‘Tiruvalluvar The Kural ‘translated by Professor P.S Sundaram was a wonderful task, reliving those moments of childhood etched in my mind.Scholars debate that the date of the ‘Kural’ could be anything from the second century BC to the Eighth century AD. As Professor Sundaram has explained in his excellent introduction, translations of the Kural have been in existence since 1700’s, first in Latin by the missionaries and then in English by various authors. So what is unique about this edition by Penguin India as part of their Penguin Classics Project? The author’s introduction clearly illustrates both his erudition in Tamil and English as well as his vast research on the classical texts. He has read extensively on the Kural, starting with the ‘terse and obscure’ work of the thirteenth century commentator Parimeelazhahar.

The Kural itself is unique. It is comprised of 1330 couplets written in a “metrical line of two feet, or a distich or couplet of short lines, the first of four and the second of three feet.” The work is also divided into the three themes of Virtue, Wealth and Love. Such clear and concise explanations by Professor Sundaram assist a layman like me in understanding the layers of this ancient text which has survived for centuries and continues to be read in Tamil, a “living language” unlike Sanskrit.

The book is set out in a simple format. Here is an example from page 15:“Valluvar knew the value of words and didn’t waste any. He took delight in rhyme, repetition, pun and alliteration and exploited them to the full to drive home a point“Cling to the One who clings to nothingAnd so clinging cease to cling.”is typical in its English of much of the brevity and wordplay of the Kural.”The author has translated the couplets in language that has not diminished the beauty of its rhyme. The copious notes at the end (pages 157-168) would help all readers to understand the nuances of the text. He has often compared them to Western literature: for example Stanza 5 is compared to Milton’s Lycidas, stanza 702 to Hamlet, stanza 716 to The Pilgrim’s progress by Bunyan. He also makes references to the Manusamhita, the Bhagavad-Gita and Arthasastra.

I would highly recommend this Penguin Classic as a great ‘dip-in’ book for one to keep by one’s bedside. This is a book that one will never tire of, a book that one could revisit for the sheer universality of its messages. Its words, scribed on palm leaves, can be read and marveled as they resonate with life in the twenty first century. The Kural would be a valuable addition to everyone’s collection of well-loved books.

To paraphrase the Kural Stanza 783:

“Good books are like good friends - A perpetual delight.”

West End Festival

2009-06-09T15:07:00.008+01:00

glasgow's west end festival 09 13th - 28th June
This is a magnificient Festival with a carnival atmoshpere. Starts with a parade and the two weeks are crammed with over 200 events. Its perfect for all the family and often the sunshines too.
I will be participating in the West End Festival with the Federation Of Writers Scotland at Hillhead Library on the 18th June. Do come and support all of us, the budding poets and writers at the event. Free at 1.30 and 3.30.I also have two bookgroup invites one on the 15th of June and another on the 17th of June. All this is such a steep learning curve and I am enjoying it thoroughly. I write because I love it and all these new things are wonderful bonuses.
How is novel 2 progressing? Well, I lost 20, 000 words as I forgot to save it on my memory stick. I feel so devastated. Need to rework the scenes in my mind and write it again.

Comments on 'Twice Born'

2009-06-06T15:29:00.003+01:00

I have had some great feedbacks.The first one here is from a blog after reading a book review of 'Twice Born' and an interview online by Suzan Abrams. The rest are from people who came to the event in Borders.

Comments

A fascinating interview, Suzan, and I know that I’ll want to read this book. I have been all over South India and have also visited Glasgow. These two places are so utterly, wonderfully incommensurable that I can’t wait to read someone so intelligent linking them. That was such a wizard idea you had to show us the views from the window of her study. Now if only the garden weren’t quite so immaculate … sigh. : )
acacciatura

Hi Leela,

You did brilliantly - you should be very proud of yourself.

Ian.
Hello Leela
Thanks so much for inviting me to your launch. I have kept all my questions for the book circle on the 15th which I and the other members are really looking forward to. Your launch was a tremendous compliment to your achievement of having your first book published. I am sure it will sell well to great acclaim.
See you soon.
Maisie
Dear Leela
It was a most enjoyable launch, your reading especially - and what a good turnout! Some of these events are rather sparsely attended. I think you were right to keep it shortish. I'm sorry i had to had to rush off too - in pursuit of Monica - as an earnest lady was asking your opinion of Forster's Passage to India ! I hope sales go well, and good luck with the next novel.
Ann
Dear Leela
I was going to thank you for the invitation to a really enjoyable event - I'm sorry I didn't stay around but I'd had a busy morning and was a little tired. It was great to see such a big and keen audience and a real coup to have Ron introduce you. I'm so glad you got the main Borders for the launch in the end.

All the best

Hi Leela
I thought it went extremely well and was so pleased to see such a good turnout for you. Unless you are combining it with a social event I don’t believe it’s a good idea to make it over long.You spoke very well and I enjoyed your readings.Thanks for the pic – it has confirmed my belief that I don’t have a good side! When I’ve got a moment I’ll send on one of the photos I took of you to Chris to put on the Strathkelvin website. Will also put in a review when I’ve had the chance to read your book – things have been so chaotic recently that I just haven’t had the time to read anything.
Kindest Regards
Sharon
Hello LeelaMarion and I thoroughly enjoyed last night and thought you spoke for a perfect length of time. I must congratulate you on speaking so clearly and with the right balance of humour. Super that two of your ex students were there too. Marion went off to bed last night with your wee book of poems that I bought last summer and said she was only sorry she couldn't take longer over the reading of the poemsI hope you were able to sign lots of copies of the book. Marion was thrilled with hers and is going to start reading it properly on the plane home. I hope to find time to return to my editing of Love Re-Born and hope that some of your inspiration rubs off!!Love from Irene
Hi Leela

So sorry I can't be there, as you know election day is a busy one for politicians! But congratulations on your book being published, and I hope this evening's launch goes well
Best wishes
Jo Swinson@parliament.uk) MP
Hi Leela, Thanks for this, I'll pass this on to my team. We put a picture up on our website, please have a look if you have the chance. It was lovely working with you, and please keep us in mind when the second book comes out! Have a lovely weekend
Best Wishes
Leah (supervisor @borders Glasgow)

Borders Launch

2009-06-06T10:02:00.009+01:00

The Borders book launch was a resounding success. Lots of people turned up, standing room only. The event's highlight for me was the fact that Ron Grossett of Geddes and Grossett introduced me to the audience with wonderful words, that revealed his deep love for India. He related some funny incidents in Madras/ Chennai and concluded by reading my poem 'This is my ain land' It sounded perfect in his Scots accent. I loved the phrase' 'Twice Born in her tartan sari' , an apt description of my dual identity. For so many people to come out on a working night and queue to buy my book was heartwarming. Two of my pupils whom I had taught and the headteacher of the school I had worked in came over too. Borders did a magnificent job of providing a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Signing the book was a strange feeling almost wondering if it was really me, an actual author in the world largest bookstore chain.It has certainly fired me to get on with my next book. An exciting offer has come in and I'll reveal it when confirmed. Watch this space!

ED LIFE SUMMER 2009

2009-06-03T09:36:00.007+01:00

An article in my local council's magazine summer edition. Nice to be mentioned alongside Alan Bissett who is one of Glasgow's 'hot young author'.

Author Leela tells her story
EAST Dunbartonshire Council’s

libraries are hosting events
throughout the year to celebrate
‘Homecoming’, the events programme
celebrating Scotland’s great
contributions to the world.
One of these events showcased one
of Scotland’s brightest writing talent,
Leela Soma, who gave a reading at
Milngavie Library. She is a local author
from Milngavie whose first novel
‘Twice Born’ has just been published.
Alan Bissett, one of Scotland’s leading
young authors also talked about his
latest novel ‘Death of a Ladies’ Man’
which is due to be published in July
this year.
Leela said, “The reading was really
excellent. Everyone seemed to enjoy it
and I think it’s a great way to give new
writers some exposure.”

edlife is produced by the Corporate Communications Team, East Dunbartonshire
Council, Tom Johnston House, Civic Way, Kirkintilloch, G66 4TJ.
Email: edlife@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
For further information: www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Golden Glasgow

2009-05-30T10:10:00.003+01:00

Glasgow's shimmering in the sunshine. Soaring temperatures are so rare in May that all of us are out in the garden and getting our dose of vitamin D. My bloomin little garden and the wood behind.

My novel 'Twice Born' received a good review and interview from a Suzan Abrams. Great for a new writer to get reviewed by someone you don't know at all.

Glasgow is buzzing with writer events this June. Looking forward to AL Kennedy's stand up comedy tonite for the Scottish Writers Centre.

Learnt that my city of birth Madras now Chennai has a book club with a membership of over 300! That's amazing, the Indian readership market is booming and the big boys in publishing are all vying for attention there.

Back to the gym after a 5 week break. If I return in a fit state will continue the blog!

Back Home

2009-05-26T12:26:00.012+01:00

Back home after a wonderful family break. Borders book launch next Thursday.Looking forward to the launch and hope to get good questions from people attending. Borders Glasgow is in a beautiful building in the heart of city, well worth seeing it and perusing the fantastic collection of books. Tempting with their 3 for 2 offers like all big bookstores.'Evening Times' the local evening paper did a small feature on my Borders book launch when I was in USA. A kind friend has kept a copy for me.Wonder how the feature is as I'm still to see it?

Also could not resist a look at Amazon 'Youwriteon' best sellers. I was really and pleased to see that 'Twice Born' is 11th out of their three hundred odd publications.

Another exciting news is receiving a letter from Penguin India informing me that I've been chosen to participate in a Penguin India Classic initaitive. I have been asked to review 'Thirukural' an ancient Tamil book of poetry and blog on their site.I am thrilled, honored and hope I can live upto the task.

USA

2009-05-19T20:46:00.004+01:00

Here I'm in the land of the free etc and getting fatter by the minute.Love the food, huge portions, can't resist the sweets, chocs and icecream. I can understand the obesity problem here.First time in Upstate New York. The campus of my daughter's uni is incredible.The facilities for student, the huge libraries, the computers, the sporting facilities, the student union and the fact that huge car parks are overflowing and that they need a park and ride for students is totally amazing. The space for everything is fantastic.
Now for the downside, the day I arrived there was a shooting in downtown. The public transport system is disgraceful and quite scary as few people use it. Had to hire a car. Funny driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. I am fine as long as there are cars in front of me then I get a bit confused and panicky.Okay now after a few days driving here.Must upload photos when I get back. I'll miss the sunshine definetly and the diversity as people from allover the world at this campus city.Off to an art show.

Canada

2009-05-07T13:58:00.004+01:00

I am here in the capital city of Ottawa for a family holiday. The weather was sunny to start with but has deteriorated to grey and rainy this morning. I managed to get a couple of events at the Ottawa Writer's Festival which was celebrating its 10th anniversary, much smaller venue than 'oor ain Aye Write' at the Mitchell.
Tulips bulbs sent over from the Netherlands to commemorate the special friendship forged during the Second World War between Canada and The Netherlands has been been a tradition since 1951.This is still celebrated with the wonderful Tulip Festival in May every year in Ottawa.We tried different world foods in the International Pavilion after a super walk along the Rideau River and the display in Commisionaire's Park.Enjoying a lovely break in North America.
As soon as I get back home to Glasgow I need to get organised for the book launch at Borders on June the 4th.

London Book Fair

2009-04-23T14:21:00.008+01:00

The back entrance or entrance to Earls Court 2 where we plebs were given our badges and allowed to enter the Fair. Great buzz and a huge venue.London, the tube travel, the crowds and the pace of life in the smouldering heat (yes, it was sunny all 3 days!!)was an experience as it was the first time for me in London as a non-tourist.
Highlights for me were :
1. Meeting YWO friend and author Waheed and his lovely wife.We have been emailing and Facebooking our YWO experience, so good to see him in the flesh. Also meeting Farhana of The Asian Writers online mag and Ashanti a fab journo, and a firebrand of energy.

2. India Market focus, what a great opportunity to hear Vikram Seth, Anita Nair, Girish Karnad, Anandamurthy and Javed Akhtar.Sizzling events with India at its best.Were the big publishers interested in bringing Indian authors to the UK's notice? Or were they keen on selling British authors to the burgeoning Indian market? It depended on who you spoke to,both sides were hoping to get the best out of the event.See the article in Bookseller today and draw your own conclusion. Boris Johnson's keynote speech was as expected, political barbs, humour, a classicist approach to the Fair. I learnt that 'Cheese ' was an Indian word! I knew all the others like pyjamas, chintz, bungalow, juggernaut and jodhpurs were of Indian origin, but this was a new one.
3. A seminar event was with young BME wannabe writers, publishers, students and emerging creative people desperate to be recognised by the mainstream industry. It was highlighted by Hardeep Sigh Kohli, a fellow Scot and TV personality who made us all laugh and managed to put the serious message that it was time for the industry to shed its white middle class male image and start encouraging the voices of all the sections of the British society.

What did three days of being at the event do for me- a new author? Did I get a five figure contract with The Publishers? Well... NO, but I networked, met many people, tried to get publishers to take note of new authors, saw the ebook technology making inroads and the new expresso machine that was churning out books and handing free copies of a YWO author's book!Blackwells in Charing Cross will be adding this machine in their store so go print your own if you wish.
Was LBF worth the cost, travel and effort? Yes definitely.

LONDON BOOK FAIR

2009-04-19T19:59:00.002+01:00

I,m in the big smoke for the Book Fair. Three days of books, publishers and the crowds in Earls Court.My first visit at the Fair so looking forward to this experience.

Glasgow Borders Book Launch JUNE 4

2009-04-18T15:12:00.015+01:00

Contact: Leela Soma
Email:leelasoma@hotmail.com website:www.leelasom.com
Mobile 07837761315
'TWICE BORN -'Pure Dead Brilliant'

Chapatti and Curry or Mince and Tatties?
Glasgow or Madras?
Love and Identity…
‘Twice Born’ a novel by Leela Soma is about all this and more!

Read this unique novel. Ram and Sita's new life in Glasgow. Do they cope okay? A twist in Sita’s life makes the culture clash a confrontation. Is she truly ‘twice born,’ entwined in two cultures enriched by the Indian womb that had nurtured her soul and the Scottish cradle that had nurtured her being, her heritage unique? Read and find out.

Comments from readers:

At last! I got your book from Amazon last week but it was worth waiting for. I enjoyed your story very much - and also enjoyed learning about the Scotland -India connections. Hope you're working on the next one now. I'm looking forward to reading more.
Dr. Ann McLaren (Vice President, Scottish Association of Writers)

I read your book and really enjoyed it. Fascinating insights into your rich cultural background and such vivid description. It's wonderful to read and find your self so identifying with the author's words that you can almost feel yourself transported back in time. There were moments like that in your book and in two I have read recently, James Kelman's Kieron Smith, Boy and Janice Galloway's It's Not About me. C. Stapleton (Principal Teacher)

I bought your book at the ’Aye Write’ Sudden Fame event on Sunday, persuaded by the extract you read from it, and must say I'm thoroughly gripped, which is the mark of a good story. It's very interesting to see Britain in general through other eyes. A really fine achievement.
Anne C.Clarke (Makar, Federation of Writers Scotland)